Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong hosted a reception for visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in Hanoi on August 28

President Trong warmly welcomed the visit of the Malaysian government leader, wishing the visit a success so as to contribute to enhancing the strategic partnership between the two countries.

He reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of attaching importance to the strategic partnership with Malaysia, and urged the countries to intensify cooperation in all fields, especially those with potential such as economy, trade, investment and people-to-people exchange.

The Vietnamese leader also proposed that the two countries strengthen collaboration in the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other regional and international forums for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

PM Mahathir informed the host on the outcomes of his talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, noting that the two sides had affirmed the resolve to continue bolstering economic and trade links as well as to effectively coordinate at regional and international forums, first of all ASEAN.

He stressed that the two countries share many similarities and both hold important roles and positions in the region, which are favourable conditions for them to coordinate closely in both bilateral and multilateral issues, including the East Sea issue, thus contributing to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region, as well as to building a strong and united ASEAN Community.

The Malaysian PM expressed his wish to further promote comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in all fields, and increase the exchange of delegations, particularly high-ranking ones, and people-to-people exchange for sharing experience in governance and corruption prevention and combat.

Malaysian PM shares digital transformation experience with Vietnam

Malaysian visiting Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad

Malaysian visiting Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad held a dialogue with leaders and staff of the FPT Group at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Hanoi on August 28.

Sharing Malaysia’s success in digital transformation, Mahathir said his country has built a comprehensive industry plan to catch up with the fourth industrial revolution, thus improving its global competitiveness and creating high added value.

He said Malaysia is accelerating digital transformation with four key pillars of the Industry 4.0, smart tourism, smart education and safe cities development, towards the goal of turning the country into one of the world’s leading 20 economies by 2050.

Mahathir also spoke highly of Vietnam’s digital transformation and e-government development goal, partly contributed by information technology groups, including the FPT.

Chairman of the FPT Group’s Board of Directors Truong GiaBinh said as Vietnam is building a national digital transformation project with an aim to be among the top four ASEAN countries in terms of national digitalisation by 2025, Malaysia’s experience will be helpful for Vietnam.

He said the FPT will learn about Cyberjayascience park set up by Malaysian PM, with an aim to build an education – artificial intelligence complex in the central province of BinhDinh.

Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh suggested Malaysia offer all possible support to Vietnam’s technological groups to do business in the nation, adding that Vietnam is ready to create favourable conditions for Malaysian firms also.

The Malaysian PM also took the occasion to answer FPT University students’ questions about Malaysia’s digital transformation experience, workforce 4.0 and the importance of artificial intelligence in the process.

Malaysian Prime Minister concludes visit to Vietnam
 

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (left) and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on August 28 wrapped up his two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

During his stay in Vietnam, PM Mahathir held talks with PM Phuc; and paid a courtesy visit to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Malaysian PM also visited FPT Group and held a dialogue with students of FPT University at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Hanoi, and made a field trip to the Noi Bai Industrial Park.

At these meetings, the two sides noted with pleasure the strong development of the Vietnam-Malaysia relationship over the past time.

They shared the views that the two countries should enhance and deepen the strategic partnership given profound changes in Asia-Pacific and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in particular with both opportunities and challenges, for the sake of the Vietnamese and Malaysian people, and for peace, cooperation and prosperous development in the region and the world.

The two sides issued a joint statement, under which they agreed to maintain frequent high-level contacts and increase discussions on strategic issues through the exchange of high-level visits, as well as regular exchanges among political parties, governmental and parliamentary delegations.

The two leaders also pledged to expand bilateral cooperation through the existing mechanisms and consultations platforms, including the Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation (JCM) and the Senior Officials’ Strategic Dialogue (SOSD).

They consented to increase bilateral exchanges in defense through the prompt establishment of the High Level Committee (HLC) on Defence Cooperation. Both sides agreed to hold the first meeting of the HLC on Defence Cooperation that will be hosted by Vietnam in 2019.

Both sides affirmed their commitment to enhancing further the cooperation in preventing and combating transnational and high-tech crimes, and other crimes related to drugs, piracy, terrorism and illegal immigration.

They concurred to promote the mutual import and export of each country’s products, including electrical and electronics, petroleum products, chemicals and chemical products, manufactures of metal, machinery, equipment and parts, agricultural produce, palm oil, halal products, seafood, as well as garments and textiles, and raise the total trade to reach 15 billion USD or higher by 2020.

Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation between investment agencies and businesses of the two countries, including coordination to organise investment promotion events so that enterprises can seek investment opportunities in each nation.

They were unanimous to enhance cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and welcomed the organisation of the Joint Working Group Meeting to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on Labour Recruitment and Placement signed in 2015.

Besides, the two nations agreed to promote comprehensive connectivity and boost cultural and arts exchanges and tourism by increasing the frequency of Vietnam-Malaysia direct flights. Both sides agreed to finalise the Air Services Agreement (ASA) for signing at a suitable time.

Both sides also agreed to give due attention to and provide favorable conditions for the two countries’ public and non-governmental organisations, particularly the business and friendship associations, to increase exchanges and cooperation as part of the joint effort to promote cooperation in economics, tourism and culture. Both sides encouraged their respective localities to step up cooperation through the exchange of delegations at various levels and share management expertise, particularly in urban planning, transport infrastructure, and innovative entrepreneurship.

The two PMs emphasised the importance of maintaining ASEAN unity and centrality, and ensuring the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. They reaffirmed their commitment to work with other ASEAN members in promoting a cohesive, coherent, resilient, responsive and innovative ASEAN Community that plays a central role in the evolving regional architecture.

Both sides underlined the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and the rule of law in the region, which includes the safety, security and freedom of navigation and over-flight in the East Sea and expressed serious concerns over recent developments in the East Sea. The two sides agreed that disputes shall be resolved through peaceful means, including the full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with the principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad witnessed the signing of a letter of intent on an MoU on cooperation in legal enforcement and search and rescue at sea, and the exchange of letters on the establishment of Malaysia-Vietnam friendship parliamentarians’ group.-VNA

Malaysian PM test drives Vietnamese SUV

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on August 28 test drove a model of VinFast, a car manufactured by Vingroup.

Vietnam, Malaysia agree to deepen strategic partnership

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad agreed to further deepen the Vietnam-Malaysia strategic partnership during their talks in Hanoi on August 27.