Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – On the occasion of Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's state visit to Vietnam from November 30 to December 2, 2025, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Tran Anh Vu gave an interview to a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Southeast Asia regarding the significance of the visit and the achievements of bilateral cooperation.
Tran Anh Vu stated that Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's visit to Vietnam fully demonstrates the determination of both countries to continuously consolidate and deepen friendly cooperation in various fields since upgrading bilateral relations to a comprehensive partnership in 2019.
During the visit, both sides will discuss and assess cooperation in various fields within the framework of the "Comprehensive Partnership Action Plan 2023-2027". In particular, this visit provides an important opportunity for both sides to jointly discuss solutions for further consolidating and deepening cooperation in key areas such as political diplomacy, defense and security, energy, halal industry, tourism, and cultural exchanges, as well as other areas of mutual concern and cooperation needs.
For Brunei, this visit demonstrates its high regard for Vietnam as a trusted partner within the ASEAN region and the deep friendship it holds. For Vietnam, welcoming the Sultan of Brunei helps implement the Vietnamese Party and State's foreign policy of prioritizing relations with ASEAN member states, deepens cooperation across multiple sectors, and contributes to regional peace, stability, cooperation, and development.
Tran Anh Yu pointed out that since upgrading bilateral relations to a comprehensive partnership in 2019, both sides have been working to deepen cooperation in various fields. Political and diplomatic cooperation has been continuously consolidated and strengthened through high-level and multi-level delegation exchanges. During Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Brunei, the two sides adopted the "Vietnam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership Action Plan 2023-2027," which clearly defines priority areas of cooperation, key tasks, and solutions.
Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has also made significant progress. Bilateral trade is projected to exceed US$500 million in the 2023-2025 period, reaching US$670 million in 2024. Vietnam's exports to Brunei have maintained strong growth momentum in recent years, particularly with a year-on-year increase of over 30% in the first 10 months of this year. Cooperation in priority areas such as energy, halal industry, and tourism has been vigorously promoted. Vietnamese-invested enterprises in Brunei are expanding their operations. Both sides are actively discussing the establishment of a cooperation framework in areas of common concern, such as halal industry and fisheries.
Cooperation in other areas, such as defense and security, education and training, and people-to-people exchanges, is also deepening, making significant contributions to strengthening the friendly and cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Brunei.
Tran Anh Yu pointed out that Vietnam and Brunei have enormous potential for cooperation in areas such as renewable energy transition, green economy, and circular economy, which aligns with both countries' commitments to emissions reduction and sustainable development. Both sides have committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and there is broad scope for cooperation in sustainable energy transition.
The prospects for cooperation in the digital economy, science and technology, and innovation are also extremely broad. Brunei's partners have expressed their attention to and highly appreciate Vietnam's determination and effective measures to drive growth through the digital economy, science and technology, and innovation in this new phase.
Furthermore, there is still significant untapped potential in emerging areas closely related to innovation and technological advancement, such as cooperation in entrepreneurial ecosystems, high-tech agriculture, ecotourism, and high-quality human resource training.
Tran Anh Yu stated that Vietnam and Brunei will continue to coordinate closely within ASEAN, the United Nations, and multilateral forums to contribute to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and development. The important roles held by both sides (Vietnam will host the 2027 APEC Summit and be elected a member of the Human Rights Council for 2026-2028, while Brunei serves as the ASEAN-EU Coordinator for Cooperation, etc.) provide excellent opportunities for further strengthening exchanges and coordination within multilateral cooperation mechanisms and forums in the future. (End)
