HANOI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's two-day official visit to Vietnam, which starts on Thursday (July 20), has been described by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir as very significant as 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Vietnam.
Zambry said this was also Anwar's first official visit to Vietnam since becoming Prime Minister.
He said Anwar's visit was at the invitation of Vietnam's Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, when the two leaders attended the 42nd Asean Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia in May.
"This visit is very significant and meaningful because this year is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on March 30, 1973.
"This visit is also a recognition of the cooperation and cordial ties between Malaysia and Vietnam over the last five decades," he told Malaysian journalists at a media conference here on Wednesday (July 19) in conjunction with the visit.
According to Zambry, Anwar will also hold several important meetings with some of Vietnam's top leaders, including President Vo Van Thuong, the Vietnamese Prime Minister, Communist Party of Vietnam secretary-general Ngunyen Phu Trong and Chairman of the National Assembly Vong Dinh Hue.
Zambry added that these leaders were very influential in the leadership structure of Vietnam.
"Anwar will have the opportunity to meet the entire leadership strata in Vietnam. This is a recognition for Anwar because he will be given the chance to meet the entire leadership in Vietnam," he said.
Zambry said that in conjunction with the visit, Anwar is also expected to witness the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).
He expects the memorandum to further strengthen bilateral ties between Malaysia and Vietnam and boost the socio-economic development of the two countries.
In addition, Anwar and his counterparts will also witness the signing ceremony of the confirmation of the minutes of the 7th Joint Commission Meeting on Economic, Scientific and Technology Cooperation (JCM-7) between Malaysia and Vietnam jointly chaired by Zambry and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.
"This Joint Commission (JCM) is one of the main bilateral mechanisms aimed at discussing issues of mutual interests at the Foreign Minister level. The commission was established in 1992 following the signing of the Economic, Scientific and Technical Agreement between Malaysia and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Zambry said that during the visit, Anwar will also perform Friday prayers with the Muslim community in Hanoi at the Al Noor Mosque, the only mosque in the city, and interact with the imam and mosque committee members.
Also present at the media conference were Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Amran Mohamed Zin and the Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Datuk Tan Yang Thai.
Vietnam is Malaysia's 12th largest trading partner in the world and the 10th biggest export destination in 2022 while Malaysia is Vietnam's ninth largest trading partner.
Malaysia and Vietnam recorded a trade value of US$19.33bil (RM90.8bil) last year. – Bernama
