Vientiane, October 10, 2024 – The Europe Today: Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính met with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane, Laos, reaffirming their commitment to bolstering the Vietnam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership.
During the meeting, PM Chính expressed gratitude to Sultan Bolkiah for Brunei’s message of sympathy and emergency aid following the devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi in Việt Nam. He noted that this gesture was a clear demonstration of the strong friendship between the leaders and peoples of both nations.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the ongoing positive momentum in the Việt Nam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership and pledged to deepen their bilateral ties in a more practical manner, contributing to the development of a resilient and sustainable ASEAN Community.
In their discussion on future cooperation, PM Chính and Sultan Bolkiah agreed to increase the exchange of high-level delegations and to work together on effectively implementing bilateral cooperation mechanisms. They emphasized the importance of the Action Programme for the Việt Nam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership for the 2023–2027 period.
PM Chính also proposed that Brunei create favorable conditions for Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen to operate in Brunei’s waters and to expedite the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on using a hotline to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Sultan Bolkiah affirmed his intention to arrange a state visit to Việt Nam and expressed support for further strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade, agriculture, fisheries, and oil and gas. He also highlighted the importance of signing an MoU on Halal cooperation, stressing the need to promote participation in the global Halal goods and food supply chain.
Both leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, reiterating the need to maintain ASEAN’s solidarity, unity, and central role in the region. They underscored the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation in the East Sea, in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The leaders also called for the prompt adoption of an effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea, consistent with UNCLOS.
The meeting marked a significant step forward in the strengthening of the Vietnam-Brunei partnership, as both leaders committed to closer cooperation in regional and international forums.
