Brian Jeffrey
The Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, along with his wife, is set to embark on an official visit to Malaysia from May 24 to 28, following an invitation from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his spouse.
During this visit, the Vietnamese team will participate in the 46th ASEAN Summit and associated high-ranking meetings in Kuala Lumpur.
Vietnam and Malaysia established formal diplomatic ties on March 30, 1973. The two nations enhanced their relationship to a Strategic Partnership during former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s official trip to Malaysia on August 7-8, 2015, and most recently upgraded it to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during General Secretary To Lam’s visit from November 21-23, 2024.
Currently, Malaysia stands as Vietnam’s second most significant trading partner within ASEAN, following Thailand, and ranks 11th globally. Conversely, Vietnam is Malaysia’s third most important trading partner in ASEAN.
In 2024, total trade between the two countries reached over USD 14.2 billion, marking a more than 12% increase compared to 2023. Vietnam’s exports amounted to nearly USD 5.1 billion, while imports surpassed USD 9.1 billion.
Malaysia ranks as the second-largest investor from ASEAN into Vietnam, just after Singapore, and is 11th among 143 nations and territories investing in Vietnam, with 731 active projects valued at USD 13 billion. Significant investment areas include education, energy (electricity, gas, water), and manufacturing and processing sectors.
Over the past fifty years, Vietnam and Malaysia have sustained robust, diverse cooperation. In 2023, both countries commemorated the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
The 46th ASEAN Summit and related high-level discussions are scheduled for May 26-27 in Kuala Lumpur, bringing together top leaders from the ten ASEAN member nations, Timor-Leste, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China.
The theme for this year’s summit is “Inclusive and Sustainable,” providing an essential forum for leaders to share perspectives, evaluate progress, and define strategic goals for enhancing cooperation. The objective is to maintain momentum toward building the ASEAN Community while boosting regional resilience and collective responses to new challenges.
The ASEAN-GCC-China Economic Summit, taking place during the 46th ASEAN Summit on May 26-27, will represent the inaugural meeting of its kind among ASEAN, GCC, and China, as proposed by host Malaysia. This will coincide with the second ASEAN-GCC Summit.
Discussions among the leaders are anticipated to focus on strategies to enhance tripartite economic collaboration, concentrating on trade, investment, supply chain integration, energy and sustainable development, digital advancement, agriculture and food security, tourism, education, and cultural interchange.
The summit is projected to endorse a Joint Declaration affirming the dedication of all parties to fostering economic cooperation.
