Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – On the afternoon of August 28, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong and Malaysian Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dato’ Ahmad Rozian Abd Ghani, co-chaired the third Vietnam-Malaysia Senior Officials Strategic Dialogue at the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters.
Nguyen Manh Cuong highly praised this dialogue, held following the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries during the visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam and his wife to Malaysia in November 2024. He noted that it reflected the active implementation of the comprehensive strategic partnership and the agreements reached by the two countries' high-level leaders by both foreign ministries.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed bilateral relations and proposed directions for implementing the Vietnam-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership, based on agreements reached by the two countries' high-level leaders in key areas. Both sides were pleased to see that, building on the implementation of the Action Plan 2021-2025, and especially with the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, cooperation has become increasingly deep and efficient, covering various fields including politics, trade and economy, investment, defense and security, labor, culture, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Rozan Ghani commented that bilateral trade and investment cooperation has consistently been a highlight in recent years. Malaysia remains Vietnam's third-largest trading partner in ASEAN and ninth-largest globally, and is also one of Vietnam's top ten investors. Bilateral trade has grown year by year, approaching the target of US$18 billion and becoming more balanced.
Regarding future cooperation, both sides confirmed they will closely coordinate to formally adopt the "Vietnam-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Action Plan 2026-2030" as soon as possible, promoting cooperation in new areas where both sides have complementary advantages, such as digital transformation, innovation, artificial intelligence, science and technology, agriculture and halal industry, energy cooperation, and electricity transmission. They will strive to sign relevant cooperation documents as soon as possible to provide a legal basis for cooperative activities.
In exchanging views on the international and regional situation, both sides agreed that against the backdrop of a rapidly changing international and regional strategic environment and numerous potential risks and challenges, countries in the region need to enhance strategic autonomy, diversify partnerships, promote sustainable economic recovery and green growth, and strengthen coordination to enhance the role of multilateral mechanisms and institutions. ASEAN should continue to play a leading role, enhance its resilience, and maintain its central position in the regional architecture.
Both sides shared their views and determination to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation, and development; to work with ASEAN countries to earnestly, comprehensively, and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and to create a favorable environment for advancing consultations on an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC); and to continue to support each other's candidacy in multilateral mechanisms, particularly within the framework of the United Nations.
Nguyen Manh Cuong suggested that Malaysia, in its role as the ASEAN chair in 2025 and the coordinator of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Partnership from 2024 to 2027, should continue to demonstrate a firm commitment to respecting and abiding by international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and take the lead in making positive, constructive, and responsible contributions to the COC consultation process. (End)
