Kuala Lumpur: Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh concluded his five-day official visit to Malaysia today, marking a key diplomatic engagement during the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. The visit culminated as Chinh, accompanied by his wife Le Thi Bich Tran and a Vietnamese delegation, departed from the Bunga Raya Complex at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 1.40 pm, heading back to Vietnam.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the departure was marked by a send-off ceremony featuring a guard of honour mounted by the First Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment (Ceremonial). National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang and Vietnam's Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh were present to bid farewell to the Vietnamese delegation, underscoring the significance of the bilateral ties between the two nations.
During the visit, Vietnamese Prime Minister Chinh and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim oversaw the exchange of three pivotal documents aimed at enhancing collaboration in the fields of energy, education, and regional integration. This diplomatic interaction follows the elevation of Malaysia-Vietnam bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024.
In 2024, Vietnam emerged as Malaysia's 11th-largest trading partner globally and the fourth-largest within ASEAN member states. The trade volume between the two countries reached RM83.11 billion, with Malaysia's exports accounting for RM53.86 billion and imports from Vietnam standing at RM29.25 billion. Malaysian enterprises have invested in over 700 projects across Vietnam, with total investments valued at over USD13 billion (RM55 billion).
The 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits concluded recently, emphasizing regional cooperation and strategic alliances. Held under Malaysia's 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship and themed 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', the summit featured high-level engagements, including the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, and the 16th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Summit.