General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Tô Lâm (left) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at their official talks in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

PUTRAJAYA — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Tô Lâm on Thursday held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, following an official welcome ceremony hosted for him at the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia.

Anwar Ibrahim affirmed that Malaysia has always supported Việt Nam from the early stages of its renewal process and ASEAN membership to its current development phase.

He congratulated Tô Lâm on his election as Party General Secretary of Việt Nam and reaffirmed the importance of this visit to strengthening mutual understanding and enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Expressing his delight at visiting Malaysia once again, Lâm highlighted that his visit would play an important role in fostering friendship and mutual understanding, and creating new opportunities for deeper cooperation between the two countries for the benefit of their people and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

The Malaysian PM congratulated Việt Nam on its impressive achievements over nearly 40 years of renewal, particularly in economic and social recovery, overcoming the heavy consequences of war, and addressing difficulties caused by natural disasters. He praised Việt Nam's positive and comprehensive transformation, especially the development of its economy and key industrial sectors. He also expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam and General Secretary Tô Lâm, the country would successfully realise its development goals.

The Vietnamese leader appreciated Malaysia’s dynamic development and congratulated the country on its significant achievements under the leadership of PM Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition government. He said he believes that Malaysia would succeed in implementing its comprehensive development strategy for the new period, particularly the "MADANI Economy: Empowering the People" and the "New Industrial Master Plan 2030."

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong, deep, and comprehensive development of Việt Nam-Malaysia relations since their diplomatic ties were established in 1973, especially the achievements in bilateral and multilateral cooperation since the two countries elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2015. Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed Malaysia's strong commitment to its relationship with Việt Nam and thanked the country for its important support.

The official talks between Vietnamese Party leader Tô Lâm and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

Lâm underscored Việt Nam's appreciation for Malaysia’s continuous support in Việt Nam's development, ASEAN integration, and international engagement. “Việt Nam attaches importance and gives high priority to its relationship with Malaysia,” he stressed.

The two leaders emphasised that the two countries share many cultural and historical similarities, noting their common interests and desire to contribute to peace, security, and development.

Both leaders agreed to elevate the Việt Nam-Malaysia relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the benefit of their people, as well as for peace, sustainable development, and prosperity in ASEAN and the world. They reached a common perception on major directions to strengthen cooperation in key areas of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two leaders also agreed to reinforce political trust, further expand and deepen collaboration in defence and security, enhance relations via the party, state, government, and parliament channels, and increase exchanges of high-level visits. They instructed relevant agencies to soon develop an action plan to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2025-2030 period.

General Secretary Tô Lâm and PM Anwar Ibrahim shared a common view on strengthening economic connectivity for sustainable development, creating more resources for the new phase of growth for both countries. They agreed to promote cooperation in developing the Halal industry, encourage businesses to invest in each other’s markets, and enhance collaboration in areas such as science and technology, green economy, innovation, digital transformation, and green energy. — VNA/VNS