Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen (Photo: VNA)

In the meeting with Cambodian PM Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and gives the top priority to consolidating the fine neighborliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia.

He stressed that Vietnam always stays ready to assist Cambodia to prevent the pandemic. In such spirit, Vietnam provided 500,000 USD together with 800 respirators, 2 million medical masks and 300,000 N-95 masks for Cambodia.

Chinh suggested Cambodia continue offering support to the Vietnamese community in the country, especially in handling legal documents to help them stabilise lives.

Hun Sen, for his part, affirmed that Cambodia highly values its traditional friendship and neighbourliness with Vietnam. He thanked Vietnam for offering valuable material and experience support to Cambodia to fight the pandemic.

Despite the pandemic, two-way trade between Vietnam and Cambodia doubled to 2.69 billion USD in the first half of this year.  

The two PMs agreed to work closely together to monitor border areas and conduct vaccination to the two nations’ citizens. They hailed the exchange of two legal documents approving 84 percent of border demarcation and consented to do the remaining work in the near future.
           
The Vietnamese PM proposed Cambodia support Vietnam’s launch of a centre on emerging diseases and medical contingencies.

They vowed to work with other ASEAN member states to step up negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong (Photo: VNA)

In his talks with Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, Chinh noted Singapore is the biggest investor in Vietnam in 2020 and early 2021.

He suggested hastening negotiations on a priority travel mechanism in a flexible manner, soon resuming commercial flights, and promoting bilateral economic and tourism links. He asked Singapore to continue providing short- and mid-term scholarships for Vietnam, including training at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Lee, for his part, expressed his wish to foster close ties with Chinh to promote Vietnam – Singapore strategtic partnership, and also agreed with Chinh’s proposals.

The two PMs pledged to continue boosting bilateral ties at regional and global forums, especially at ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Both sides will complete the ratification and effective implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, maintain ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue, and support ASEAN’s role in the settlement of Myanmar issue, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation in the region.
             
PM Chinh welcomed the upcoming Vietnam visit by the Singaporean Foreign Minister to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) high-level policy dialogue scheduled for next month, and invited Lee to visit Vietnam. The Singaporean PM accepted the invitation with pleasure and also invited Chinh to Singapore.  

PM Pham Minh Chinh meets Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin (Photo: VNA)

In the conversation with Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin, Chinh wished to reinforce ties with Malaysia in bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

Yassin said he believes that with achievements in pandemic control, socio-economic stability and success in external relations, Vietnam will reap further successes in socio-economic development, thus improving its stature in the region and the world.

The two PMs promised to expand bilateral coordination in various fields in the near future, including maintaining all-level exchanges, both online and offline. The two countries will also hold the sixth meeting of the Vietnam – Malaysia Inter-Committee for Economic and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and the fourth meeting of the Trade Joint Committee, towards raising two-way trade to 15 billion USD.

 
The two sides pledged to offer mutual support within the ASEAN framework and at regional and global forums, continue upholding ASEAN’s role in the East Sea issue, seriously abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon reach a practical and effective COC in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, heads of delegations of Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar also paid courtesy calls to PM Chinh, and wished that he would continue boosting bilateral ties.

PM meets Sultan of Brunei on sidelines of ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Haji Hassanal Bolkiah on April 24 morning as part of his participation in the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting.

The Sultan of Brunei repeated his congratulation to Chinh on his recent election as the Prime Minister of Vietnam and praised the country’s achievements in COVID-19 prevention and control, socio-economic development, and external relations.

He stressed that the nation successfully undertook the ASEAN chairmanship last year, coming up with many initiatives in contribution to the bloc’s peace, cooperation, and growth.

For his part, the Vietnamese PM congratulated Brunei on its progress in pandemic control, and affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to fostering the relations with Brunei and supports Brunei’s 2021 ASEAN chairmanship.

Acknowledging positive progress in bilateral relations over the past time, both leaders emphasised the upgrade of the Vietnam - Brunei relations to a comprehensive partnership in 2019 during the Sultan’s visit to Vietnam as an important milestone, creating a driving force for their cooperation to be increasingly consolidated and enhanced.

They agreed upon key areas for collaboration in the time to come, which include increasing high-level exchanges and meetings when conditions allow; organising the 2nd meeting of the nations’ joint cooperation committees at the foreign ministerial level in 2021; building an action programme to implement their comprehensive partnership in the next five years; and promoting the effectiveness of bilateral join works in energy, agriculture, and education.

The leaders concurred to fortify economic ties and add new suitable sectors to the current cooperation in a bid to double the bilateral trade in the future.

The Brunei’s side will assist Vietnamese companies in the production and issue licences allowing Vietnamese Halal products to enter the local market.

The leaders said they encourage Vietnamese and Brunei firms to expand their investment and trade relationships and support the two nations’ increasing collaboration at sea, particularly in aquaculture, seafood processing and information and experience exchange on law enforcement.

Expressing his gratitude toward Brunei’s support for Vietnam’s positions as the Chair of ASEAN last year and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, Chinh asked Brunei to back Vietnam’s hosting of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases.

The Sultan invited Chinh to visit Brunei, which he accepted with pleasure. The Vietnamese PM also offered an invitation to the Sultan to visit Vietnam again.

PM receives ASEAN Secretary General

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, while attending the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting at the office of the grouping’s secretariat in Jakarta on April 24, received Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi.

PM Chinh spoke highly of the cooperation and coordination of the official and the secretariat with Vietnam, and pointed to the bloc’s priorities, namely the control of the pandemic, the acceleration of recovery, the rational settlement of issues, and the maintenance of the central role, prestige and position of ASEAN.

The ASEAN official congratulated Vietnam for successfully playing the role of the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UNSC in the 2020-2021 tenure. He said he hopes Vietnam will further its support and contributions to the grouping.

PM Chinh asked Lim to support the effective implementation of the outcomes recorded by ASEAN last year, and expressed his hope the official will continue to bring into play his role, thus helping improve the efficiency of the operation of the bloc. He also proposed to continue pushing up the popularisation work so the people can understand more about the ASEAN Community and improve the grouping’s image in the eye of the international community./. VNA