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In his writing to look back on 45 years of the bilateral
diplomatic relations, Quynh stressed that the relations between the two
countries have become more special after both sides lifted the relations to a
strategic partnership in 2015.
Regarding politics, regular exchanges at all levels have been
promoted while cooperative mechanisms have been prioritised and maintained
through generations of leaders.
Malaysia’s new government and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
attach great importance to the relations with Vietnam, and the Malaysian
Government leader will pay an official visit to Vietnam and attend the World
Economic Forum on ASEAN (WEF ASEAN) in September, the diplomat said.
Both countries have seen robust signs in trade and investment
ties as well as found huge potential for further cooperation. Malaysia is
currently the eighth largest trade partner of Vietnam, and Vietnam is the
12th largest trade partner of Malaysia.
Two-way trade in 2017 reached US$10 billion, a year-on-year
increase of 19.06%, of which Vietnam exported US$4.2 billion worth of
products to Malaysia and imported goods worth over US$5.8 billion from the
country. Both sides are striving to increase the bilateral trade value to
US$15 billion by 2020 under the Vietnam-Malaysia Action Plan for 2017-2019.
Malaysia ranks seventh out of 125 countries and territories
investing in Vietnam. By the end of December 2017, Malaysia had 568 projects
with a total registered capital of US$12.18 billion in Vietnam.
The two countries have been interested in bolstering
collaboration in security and defence. Particularly, 2018 marks the 10th
anniversary of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on defence
cooperation.
Both sides continue enhancing information exchange, working to
prevent piracy, as well as promoting search and rescue efforts, and assisting
Vietnamese vessels in distress.
Also, fruitful cooperation has been recorded in labour,
education and tourism, with the effective implementation of the labour
cooperation deal inked in 2015, and various student exchange events.
There are more and more tourists travelling between the two
nations. Malaysia has been in the top 10 Asian tourism markets of Vietnam,
with some 400,000 arrivals in 2017, accounting for 3.48% of total foreigners
spending holidays in the country in the year.
In the multilateral aspect, both nations have built confidence
and strong bonds as they are active members of such organisations as the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asian-Pacific Economic
Cooperation Forum (APEC), the United Nations (UN), the Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement
for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
They share a common viewpoint on various issues, such as the
ASEAN’s central role in the regional security structure, the full and
effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in
the East Sea (DOC), as well as the early finalisation of a Code of Conduct in
the East Sea (COC).
Ambassador Quynh reaffirmed that the bilateral ties have always
been nurtured by generations of leaders of both sides, bringing benefits to
the two peoples for the sake of regional and global peace and stability.
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