PM Chinh of Vietnam was formally welcomed to Malaysia on his first official visit

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received a ceremonial welcome at Malaysia’s Perdana Putra Complex, marking his first official visit to the country. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim greeted him at 2:30 PM, followed by the national anthems of both countries and an inspection of the guard of honor. The event was attended by key Malaysian ministers, senior officials, and foreign diplomats.

Prime Minister Chinh was accompanied by his wife, Le Thi Bich Tran; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son; and other senior Vietnamese officials. His visit precedes the 46th ASEAN Summit, the Second ASEAN-GCC Summit, and the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit, scheduled in Kuala Lumpur on May 26 and 27.

The two leaders discussed the progress of Malaysia-Vietnam relations, which were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024. Their talks focused on enhancing cooperation in trade, defense, agriculture, the halal industry, digital technology, tourism, and renewable energy. They also reaffirmed ASEAN’s central role in addressing regional and global challenges.

In 2024, Vietnam was Malaysia’s eleventh-largest global trading partner and fourth-largest within ASEAN, with bilateral trade totaling RM83.11 billion. Malaysian investments in Vietnam have surpassed USD 13 billion across more than 700 projects.

Following their meeting, a joint press conference was held, and Prime Minister Anwar hosted an official luncheon at Seri Perdana in honor of his Vietnamese counterpart.