(VOVworld) - Malaysian King Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shad and Queen Tuanku Hajah Haminah are on a state visit to Vietnam from September 5 to 8. The visit is expected to boost relations between Vietnam and Malaysia and lift cooperative ties to a new level.
Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong received Malaysian King Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah. (Photo: Tri Dung/ VNA) |
Vietnam and Malaysia established diplomatic relations on March 30, 1973. The two countries signed a Joint-declaration on the Framework of Comprehensive Cooperation in the 21st century during former Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s visit to Malaysia in April 2004. During President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to Malaysia in September 2011, the two countries discussed the principles to raise bilateral relations to strategic partnership.
Vietnam - Malaysia cooperation has developed remarkably in all areas, particularly trade and investment. Malaysia is Vietnam’s 3rd largest trade partner in ASEAN and 9th globally. Two-way trade revenue nearly doubled from 4.2 billion USD in 2009 to 7.9 billion USD last year. By 2013, Malaysia has had 443 projects worth 10.2 billion USD, ranking 8th among countries and territories investing in Vietnam. They concentrate in mining, information and communications, and services. Vietnam has had 10 investment projects in Malaysia, totaling 745 million USD.
Vietnam and Malaysia signed a “Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral defense cooperation in 2008” and are negotiating a “Memorandum of Understanding to prevent and combat transnational crime” and to open a Military Attaché Office in each country’s embassy.
The two countries signed an agreement of education cooperation, under which the Malaysian government and economic groups grant scholarships to Vietnamese graduates and post-graduates every year. Malaysia opened its labor market for Vietnamese workers in 2002 and it has attracted a large number of Vietnamese workers. In December 2003, the two countries signed a governmental level agreement on labor cooperation. At present, there are about 80,000 Vietnamese workers in Malaysia.
Petro Vietnam and Petronas Malaysia established cooperative ties in 1991 and have implemented 10 projects to explore, exploit, and process oil and gas in Vietnam.
Since the two countries exempted visa requirement for ordinary passport holders, the number of Malaysian tourists to Vietnam has increased sizably with 106,000 turns in 2006, which doubled to 211,000 in 2011. The Malaysian government sent relief aid to flood victims in Vietnam’s central region in March 2010.
The Malaysian King’s visit to Vietnam shows Malaysia’s respect to its multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam and marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties. It also aims to promote bilateral cooperation in economics, trade, investment, and labor toward strategic partnership.