On September 24, in New York, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, alongside his counterparts from Laos, Saleumxay Kommasith, and Cambodia, Sok Chenda Sophea, held a breakfast meeting.

This was the first meeting of the three foreign ministers aimed at implementing the outcomes of the tripartite Prime Ministerial meeting in December 2023.

The ministers reiterated the importance of the close and historic friendship among their countries to each nation's development, recognizing these relationships as a continuation of a natural and historical alliance.

In the context of regional and international fluctuations, the ministers emphasized the strategic value of solidarity and mutual trust. They agreed on the need to extensively promote awareness among their populations, especially the youth, about the significance and historical value of the tripartite cooperation.

The three ministers concurred to maintain and deepen effective tripartite mechanisms, enhance substantial cooperation among their foreign ministries, share information and coordinate on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

During the meeting, the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that Cambodia’s departure from the Development Triangle Area would not affect other existing cooperation frameworks, both bilateral and multilateral, among the three countries.

The ministers expressed a shared desire for the three nations to continue close coordination to foster more effective and substantial cooperative relationships, benefiting their peoples and contributing to the ASEAN community, and to the peace, stability, cooperation, and development of the region.

Establishment of diplomatic relations with Malawi

At the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations in New York, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malawi, Nancy Tembo, witnessed the signing of a joint communique to establish diplomatic relations.

With the establishment of diplomatic ties with Malawi, Vietnam now maintains diplomatic relations with 194 countries worldwide.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son marked this as a historic milestone in relations between the two countries, urging bilateral exchanges and contact to enhance political trust and expand cooperative opportunities.

Vietnam is ready to share development experiences with Malawi, particularly in sectors like economic development, innovation, agriculture, fisheries, and education, and to coordinate in seeking third-party funding for tripartite agricultural development projects in Malawi.

Minister Nancy Tembo acknowledged that bilateral relations had entered a new chapter, expressing readiness to promote cooperative relations in various fields with Vietnam.

Here's the translation of the text:

While attending conferences in New York, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son met with UK Foreign Minister David Lammy, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtior Saidov, and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Myanmar, Julie Bishop.

Tran Thuong