Hanoi, February 26, 2025 – The Europe Today: General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Tô Lâm hosted a reception in Hanoi on Tuesday evening for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is in Vietnam to attend the 2nd ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) 2025.
During the meeting, General Secretary Lâm expressed his pleasure at welcoming PM Anwar back to Vietnam and recalled the warm and sincere sentiments extended by the Malaysian leader, senior officials, and the Malaysian people during his official visit to Malaysia in November 2024. The visit marked a historic milestone, elevating the Vietnam-Malaysia relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and setting forth concrete measures to further deepen bilateral cooperation.
General Secretary Lâm congratulated Malaysia on its socio-economic progress, noting its economic growth rate of 5.1% in 2024, a 1.5% increase from the previous year. He expressed confidence that Malaysia would soon emerge as one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies and join the ranks of the world’s 30 largest economies within the next decade.
PM Anwar expressed his happiness at returning to Vietnam and his admiration for President Hồ Chí Minh, as well as Vietnam’s historical struggle for national independence. He also highlighted the historical significance of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory and commended Việt Nam’s achievements in national development.
The Malaysian Prime Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to effectively implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He called for relevant committees and coordination mechanisms between the two countries to translate the partnership into specific action plans to yield early and tangible outcomes.
Expanding Bilateral Cooperation
Both leaders discussed key areas for enhanced cooperation, agreeing to foster exchanges and high-level contacts while strengthening existing bilateral mechanisms and exploring the establishment of new frameworks that meet both nations’ evolving needs.
They also emphasized the importance of maximizing potential collaboration in critical sectors, including defence and security, trade and investment, labour, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. The leaders acknowledged the strong bilateral trade volume, which is nearing the target of US$18 billion, and identified further areas of potential growth, particularly in energy, oil and gas, and fisheries.
PM Anwar pledged Malaysia’s close cooperation with Vietnam in fostering economic, trade, and investment relations and supported Vietnam’s proposals to strengthen partnerships in culture, education, and tourism by capitalizing on emerging global trends.
Regional and International Collaboration
Discussing regional and global issues of mutual concern, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation within regional and international organizations, particularly ASEAN and the United Nations. General Secretary Lâm expressed Vietnam’s strong support for Malaysia as it assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. He assured that Vietnam, along with other ASEAN members, would work collaboratively to advance Malaysia’s key priorities and initiatives, aligning with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Regarding the East Sea issue, both leaders underscored the importance of upholding ASEAN’s common stance, ensuring full compliance with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and expediting negotiations for an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC). They reiterated their commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation in the region, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The meeting reaffirmed the deepening ties between Vietnam and Malaysia, underscoring their shared vision for regional stability, economic growth, and strengthened bilateral relations in the years ahead.
