HCMC – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for Malaysia’s cooperation in developing the halal industry in Vietnam during his talks with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.
He met with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim on May 25 after a formal welcome ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. The talks were part of Chinh’s official visit to Malaysia and participation in the 46th ASEAN Summit.
The two leaders agreed to establish a flexible annual exchange mechanism between senior leaders and to enhance the effectiveness of existing bilateral cooperation frameworks, aiming to boost two-way trade to US$20 billion by 2030.
Vietnam and Malaysia will work together to reduce trade barriers and facilitate the export and import of high-potential goods such as agricultural products, seafood, food items, electronic components, and construction materials.
They also plan to expand cooperation in the digital economy, green economy, and circular economy.
PM Chinh affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to provide Malaysia with a stable, long-term supply of rice, and called on Malaysia to support the development of Vietnam’s halal industry and accelerate the signing of related cooperation agreements.
The two prime ministers emphasized the importance of maritime cooperation and proposed establishing a consultation mechanism and a hotline to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Malaysia also pledged to support Vietnam’s efforts to have the European Commission’s yellow card on its seafood exports lifted.
Both leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation across various sectors and accelerate the signing of new agreements on aviation and tourism. They also committed to increasing flight frequency and expanding collaboration in education, labor, agriculture, culture, and sports.
Following their talks, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing of three cooperation documents between the two countries.
These included a letter of intent on cooperation between Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), a letter of intent between Vietnam National University – HCMC and the National University of Malaysia, and another between Vietnam National University – Hanoi and the National University of Malaysia.
