The special aircraft carrying Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse, and the high-level Vietnamese National Assembly delegation landed at Bunga Raya Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, on the afternoon of September 16.

The visit, which takes place from September 16 to 20, is made at the invitation of Tan Sri Dato’ Johari Bin Abdul, Speaker of the House of Representatives and AIPA-46 President, as well as Dato’ Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah, President of the Senate of Malaysia.

Greeting the delegation at the airport were: Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Tan Sri Mohamed, Deputy Speaker of the Malaysian Senate; representatives of the AIPA Malaysia organizing committee; Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Manh Linh and his spouse; and officials and staff from the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia.

During the visit, Chairman Tran Thanh Man is scheduled to hold key talks and meetings with Malaysia's top leaders, including the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister, and other senior officials.

He will also visit and meet with embassy staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Malaysia, the Malaysia-Vietnam Friendship Association, major Malaysian corporations, and local economic, cultural, and social institutions.

This marks his first official visit to Malaysia in his capacity as Chairman of the National Assembly following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024. The visit is expected to boost parliamentary cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia.

According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngo Le Van, the visit reflects Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, development, and diversification of international relations. It also underscores Vietnam’s commitment to enhancing ties within Southeast Asia, particularly with ASEAN Chair Malaysia in 2025.

Furthermore, the visit signals Vietnam’s pledge to work with Malaysia and other ASEAN members to build a "sustainable and inclusive" ASEAN Community, strengthening unity and centrality in regional architecture.

The visit also coincides with the 30th anniversary of Vietnam’s membership in ASEAN and participation in AIPA (1995-2025). It offers an opportunity for Vietnam to reaffirm its role and continue working with other parliaments to uphold intra-bloc solidarity and stability, as well as build a resilient and robust ASEAN Community.

Deputy Minister Ngo Le Van said Vietnam will actively engage in the AIPA-46 General Assembly with a range of proposals and initiatives aimed at enhancing regional cooperation and the role of parliamentary diplomacy.

Vietnam’s proposals will include strengthening AIPA cooperation in key priority areas such as cybersecurity, economic and digital transformation, intra-regional trade, sustainable development, and enhancing partnerships with external stakeholders.

Vietnam will work with other member countries to outline strategic directions and actions to elevate inter-parliamentary cooperation. Special emphasis will be placed on parliamentary diplomacy’s role in addressing regional challenges, maintaining peace and stability, and deepening people-to-people exchanges.

Tran Thuong