KUALA LUMPUR(Bernama-VNA): Vietnam and Malaysia play an important and indispensable role in Asean, including in the fields of economy, diplomacy and security, said Collins Chong Yew Keat, a foreign affairs and strategy analyst and author in University of Malaya.
Collins, during an interview with Vietnam News Agency (VNA) here emphasised the increasing momentum in the Vietnam-Malaysia relationship across all sectors, including diplomacy, economy, and national defence and security since the establishment of their bilateral strategic partnership in 2015.
Given the current developments in the region and the world, he underscored the importance of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Vietnam on July 20 to 21.
"The visit aimed to further strengthen the longstanding friendship and partnership between the two countries,” he said.
Collins suggested that Vietnam and Malaysia should collaborate more closely in the near future to ensure stable supply chains, food security, and the development of green and digital economies, as well as other industries.
He highlighted economic cooperation as one of the key areas for both countries, particularly in the post-Covid-19 period amidst the complex developments in the region and the world.
Collins highlighted Malaysia's current strengths in areas like electronics, halal products, palm oil, and notably, energy - all of which are essential for Vietnam's economic development.
Regarding national defence and security, he emphasised the need for both countries to strengthen their cooperation in addressing common challenges in maritime affairs, particularly through joint efforts to promote and conclude a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), adding this will be one of the top priorities in bilateral cooperation going forward. - Bernama-VNA
