RIO DE JANEIRO: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Brazil.
The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties, with discussions spanning trade, energy, and maritime cooperation.
Anwar was joined by Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. Also present was Datuk Ahmad Rozian Abd Ghani, deputy secretary-general for Bilateral Affairs at Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry.
This marks the third high-level engagement between the two leaders this year, following their meetings at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur and the ASEAN Future Forum in Hanoi.
Malaysia remains Vietnam’s third-largest ASEAN trading partner and ninth globally, with bilateral trade hitting US$14.2 billion in 2024. Both nations aim to boost this figure to US$18 billion by year-end.
Key topics included enhancing cooperation in defence, fisheries, and green energy. Anwar emphasised the need for joint efforts to combat illegal fishing while ensuring sustainable marine resource management. He also backed renewable energy investments in southern Vietnam, including an undersea cable project to improve regional energy connectivity under the ASEAN Power Grid initiative.
“I look forward to further discussions at the ASEAN Summit in October to deepen our strategic partnership,” Anwar said. – Bernama
