Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn held phone talks with Brunei Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof on Tuesday. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn held phone talks with Brunei Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof on Tuesday, during which both agreed to maintain the two nations’ mechanism of the joint committee on bilateral co-operation.

The Brunei minister congratulated Sơn on his appointment as foreign minister and praised Việt Nam’s work in pandemic prevention and socio-economic development as well as its outstanding achievements in external relations, including its 2020 ASEAN chairmanship and the position as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020 – 2021.

Minister Sơn spoke highly of the two nations lifting of their ties to a comprehensive partnership on the occasion of the Sultan of Brunei’s visit to Việt Nam in 2019 and expressed his delight at the sound development of their co-operation, particularly in trade last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both ministers agreed to build an action plan to implement the comprehensive partnership for the next five years and regularly and effectively maintain the nations’ mechanism of the joint committee on bilateral co-operation while studying to establish a political consultation mechanism and signing a memorandum of understanding on co-operation between the two foreign ministries as soon as possible.

They also agreed to the two nations’ ties in trade and investment.

Sơn took the occasion to thank Brunei and other ASEAN states for supporting Việt Nam in holding its role as ASEAN Chair in 2020 and as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020 – 2021.

Việt Nam is backing Brunei’s ASEAN chairmanship this year, he said.

Sơn invited Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof to visit Việt Nam at a convenient time, and the Brunei minister accepted with pleasure. — VNS