VietNamNet Bridge – State President Truong Tan Sang’s recent visits to Brunei Darussalam and Myanmar have opened up new opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and these two countries.

President Sang witnesses the signing of cooperation agreements between Vietnamese and Brunei businesses.

President Truong Tan Sang and his delegation returned to Hanoi on December 1, successfully concluding their visits to Brunei (November 27-29) and Myanmar (November 29-December 1).

Brunei and Myanmar—members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—have maintained their friendships with Vietnam and the potential for bilateral cooperation with both countries is enticing across many fields.

President Sang’s visits to the two Asian nations recognised the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Brunei (1992-2012) and the 37th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Myanmar (1975-2012).

The trip, the first by a Vietnamese State leader in 10 years, reaffirms Vietnam’s consistent policies prioritising the ties of friendship and cooperation with neighbouring and regional countries.

The visits push Vietnam’s bilateral and multilateral relations with the two Asian nations to levels that will deliver practical benefits to each nation.

At the talks between President Sang and his Brunei and Myanmar counterparts, the two nations’ leaders acknowledged Vietnam’s regional role and status and expressed their wish to further strengthen cooperation across various fields.

They agreed to maintain delegation and cross-cultural exchanges to promote mutual trust and understanding, hold the first session of the Vietnam-Brunei Bilateral Cooperation Committee, and undertake political consultations between Vietnam and Myanmar.

All parties agreed to boost economic, trade, and investment cooperation in their respective domestic markets and accelerate the regional bloc’s development. Brunei’s and Myanmar’s leaders believe their relationship with Vietnam can reach greater highs.

Brunei wants Vietnam to boost rice exports and regards Vietnam as an important energy partner (over the past nine months of 2012, Brunei exported more than 3 million barrels of crude oil to Vietnam). Brunei will encourage its healthiest businesses to increase investment in Vietnam, many of which are tied to hotels and resorts.

Myanmar pledged to coordinate trade promotion programmes with Vietnam to drive two-way trade turnover to US$500 million by 2015, make it easier for Vietnamese businesses to receive investment licenses, speed up the granting of licenses for other projects, and monitor the implementation of economic cooperation agreements (particularly in 12 priority areas as agreed to by the two countries’ leaders).

Vietnam is ready to share its socio-economic development and international integration experience with Myanmar.
Accompanied by more than 50 Vietnamese entrepreneurs during his visits, President Sang also attended business forums in Brunei and Myanmar to encourage cross-border partnerships and mutual assistance.

Myanmar is keen to increase cooperation with Vietnam in agriculture, animal husbandry, industrial crops, oil and gas, telecommunications, and construction. Brunei will enhance labour cooperation, provide scholarships for English learning, and seek to better its knowledge of wet rice growing and aquaculture from Vietnam. Vietnam always looks to create the best possible conditions for foreign investors operating in Vietnam—including those from Brunei.

The three countries’ leaders praised new developments in defence and security cooperation in line with their recently signed bilateral agreements.

Brunei agreed to bilateral cooperation agreements on combating crime, establishing naval force hotlines, and promoting the exchange of information and experience through officer training. Myanmar consented to accelerate creating a mechanism for deputy ministerial security dialogues.

President Sang compared notes with the two countries’ leaders on coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums such as ASEAN and the UN.

Vietnam will support Brunei and Myanmar when the latter pair assume the ASEAN Chair in 2013 and 2014.

On the East Sea issue, both countries’ leaders concurred with Vietnam’s stance underlining the need to ensure peace, stability, and maritime security and safety in the East Sea. Disputes should also be settled with respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and the progress made on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

They welcomed the ASEAN Declaration of Six Principles on the East Sea and the Joint Statement of the ASEAN-China Summit on the 10th Anniversary of DOC.

Judging the results of Sang’s visits, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said, “We affirmed our support and close coordination with Brunei and Myanmar to help them to fulfill their responsibilities as ASEAN Chair in 2013 and 2014. These include enhancing inner bloc solidarity and ASEAN’s central role in directing the regional structure towards building an ASEAN community by 2015. All leaders also reiterated ASEAN’s stances on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the East Sea.”

President Sang’s successful trip to Brunei and Myanmar will re-energise bilateral relations, foster cooperation between Vietnam and the two Asian nations, and create closer links within ASEAN for the sake of peace and development in the region and the world.

VietNamNet/VOV