From left: Prince of Brunei Abdul Mateen, President Lương Cường, Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, and Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính at the state banquet held in honour of the Sultan in Hà Nội on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — President Lương Cường on Monday hosted a state banquet in honour of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and the high-ranking delegation of Brunei on their state visit to Việt Nam from November 30 to December 2. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính was also in attendance.

Warmly welcoming the Sultan, the President stressed that more than 30 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations and over five years since the upgrading of their ties to a Comprehensive Partnership, Việt Nam and Brunei have seen their relations continuously strengthened and expanded, yielding important and substantive results. Both sides are actively implementing the 2023-27 action programme, focusing on effectively leveraging potential areas of cooperation such as agriculture, fisheries, Halal industry development, energy, education, tourism, and maritime collaboration.

Expressing confidence that the Sultan’s visit will further deepen the close relationship and comprehensive partnership between the two nations, President Cường said he believes that with goodwill and joint efforts, the Việt Nam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership will continue to flourish, contributing to a united, resilient, and prosperous ASEAN Community, for the benefit of their people and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and beyond.

In his response, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah said that following three decades as a member of ASEAN, Việt Nam has emerged as one of the region’s dynamic economies and a highly respected member of the community. He expressed his belief that Việt Nam will continue to reap even greater achievements as it moves towards becoming a prosperous and sustainable developed nation by 2045.

The Sultan also commended Việt Nam’s growing role and prestige on the international stage, including its re-election to the UN Human Rights Council and its successful hosting of the signing ceremony for the UN Convention against Cybercrime.

Regarding bilateral ties, he noted that the two countries enjoy warm cooperation across many fields within the framework of their Comprehensive Partnership. He expressed his belief that both sides will continue to advance cooperation to protect and preserve their shared goals, strengthen trade linkages, expand joint ventures in agriculture, and promote energy collaboration under existing agreements, contributing to the sustained growth and development of both nations.

Brunei also looks forward to working closely with Việt Nam and other ASEAN member states to realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, towards regional peace, security, and stability. — VNA/VNS