SEPANG: Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived here today to begin his first official visit to Malaysia, ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Kuala Lumpur.
The special aircraft carrying Chinh, his wife Le Thi Bich Tran and the Vietnamese delegation landed at the Bunga Raya Complex at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 11.55 pm.
Chinh and his entourage were welcomed by National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Aro Dagang.
Upon arrival, Chinh inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by 28 officers and personnel from the First Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment (Ceremonial) led by Capt Muhammad Nafis Norshid.
Wisma Putra, in a statement, said the visit is ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit, the second ASEAN-GCC Summit, and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, which will be held on May 26 and 27 in Malaysia’s capital.
This marks Chinh’s first visit to Malaysia since his election as the Prime Minister of Vietnam in April 2021.
Chinh will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Perdana Putra in Putrajaya, followed by a bilateral meeting.
Malaysia and Vietnam elevated their bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024.
In 2024, Vietnam ranked as Malaysia’s 11th largest trading partner globally, and fourth largest among ASEAN member states.
Trade between Malaysia and Vietnam stood at RM83.11 billion, with exports from Malaysia to Vietnam valued at RM53.86 billion, while imports from Vietnam to Malaysia were valued at RM29.25 billion.
Malaysian companies have undertaken more than 700 projects in Vietnam across various sectors, with cumulative investments currently valued at over USD13 billion (RM55 billion).
