According to the Viet Nam News Agency, on November 23 (local time), General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, left Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to return home, successfully concluding their official visit to Malaysia from November 21-23, 2024, at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his spouse.

General Secretary To Lam and his spouse leave Kuala Lumpur, successfully concluding their official visit to Malaysia. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

During the visit, General Secretary To Lam held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim; met with Speaker of the House of Representatives Tan Sri Dato' Dr Johari bin Abdul, President of the Senate Dato' Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah; received Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural Development, President of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) Dato' Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi; meeting with prominent overseas Vietnamese representatives in ASEAN countries; meeting with the Vietnamese community in Malaysia and visiting some economic and cultural centers in Malaysia; visiting and speaking at the National University of Malaya; visiting the National Data Center; visiting the Petronas Group... On this occasion, the spouse of General Secretary To Lam visited the National Heart Institute of Malaysia and presented gifts to pediatric patients who are being treated at the hospital.

During the meetings, in a sincere and trusting atmosphere, the two sides expressed their satisfaction with the extensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Malaysia that has gone through more than 50 years of construction and development (1973 - 2024), overcoming ups and downs in history and growing stronger. Since the strategic upgrade in 2015, the cooperation between the two countries has been continuously consolidated and developed deeply, achieving important achievements both bilaterally and multilaterally, on the basis of mutual understanding and trust, a common vision of security, prosperity, sustainable development in the region and cultural and historical similarities as well as deep ties between the two peoples.

During the visit, the two sides issued a Joint Statement on upgrading the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and Malaysia. Based on the achieved results and realizing that the Viet Nam - Malaysia relationship is at a mature stage with many opportunities and suitable potential to move to a new height, the two leaders decided to upgrade the Viet Nam- Malaysia relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking the historical significance of this visit.

The two sides affirmed their commitment to supporting each other on their respective development paths, continuing to consolidate and enhance friendly cooperation and political trust between the two countries on the basis of respecting international law, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and each other's political regime. The directions and measures to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership are consistent with the socio-economic situation, laws and regulations of each country and the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs. The two sides agreed on directions to further deepen and elevate the relationship in all fields, especially breakthrough measures to enhance connectivity, remove difficulties and expand cooperation; opening a new chapter in the bilateral cooperation for peace, stability, sustainability, inclusiveness and common prosperity; and for a united, self-reliant and prosperous ASEAN Community.

The two sides also agreed to review and negotiate new cooperation agreements at an appropriate time to create strong momentum and a solid foundation for future cooperation.

Viet Nam will continue to support Malaysia's role as ASEAN Chair 2025, and reaffirmed its commitment to continue to work closely with Malaysia and all ASEAN member countries towards the realization of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, through promoting inclusive growth, sustainable development and enhancing regional cooperation. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to further promoting equitable, inclusive and sustainable development of the ASEAN Community by linking sub-regional development with comprehensive development of ASEAN…

The leaders reiterated ASEAN's consistent stance on the East Sea and reaffirmed their commitment to continue to work closely to maintain peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; peaceful settlement of disputes, without threat or use of force, in accordance with the principles widely recognized by international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982)...

Also on the morning of November 23, in Kuala Lumpur, General Secretary To Lam had a cordial meeting with representatives of typical overseas Vietnamese, leaders of associations, intellectuals, and Vietnamese businessmen in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

General Secretary To Lam talks with representatives of outstanding Vietnamese people from ASEAN countries. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

At the meeting, representatives of overseas Vietnamese reported to the General Secretary on the living conditions and activities of their compatriots in the host countries; expressing joy at the important development achievements of the country in recent times. Representatives of typical overseas Vietnamese shared many experiences, opinions and policy proposals with the desire to contribute to the cause of promoting national development in the new era.

General Secretary To Lam highly appreciated and respected the concerns, enthusiasm, responsibility, and wholehearted devotion to the Fatherland of the people, contributing to building a developed Viet Nam with influence and position in the region and the world. General Secretary To Lam emphasized that the visit to Malaysia is of great significance in implementing the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress,  deepening relations with Malaysia in the spirit of the Congress, which stated that relations with ASEAN countries have a very important position. The General Secretary informed the people about the great results achieved during the visit through meetings with Malaysian leaders and the development of Viet Nam- Malaysia relations. The General Secretary informed the people about the development of all aspects of the country; emphasizing that the coming time will be a period of concentrating efforts on the period of important strategic opportunities, accelerating to strive to successfully complete the goals set by our Party, creating a new era - the era of rising up of the Vietnamese people. The General Secretary affirmed that the overseas Vietnamese community's joint contributions and unity are of great significance to realizing the country's development goals.

The General Secretary was pleased to see that the overseas Vietnamese community is constantly growing and maturing, making increasingly important contributions to the socio-economic development of ASEAN countries, contributing to the development of friendly relations and cooperation between Viet Namand other countries.

The General Secretary affirmed that the Party and State always pay attention to the overseas Vietnamese community, considering the community an inseparable part, the flesh and blood, an important resource of the nation. The General Secretary commended and highly appreciated the efforts of overseas Vietnamese, was happy to see the Vietnamese community in other countries love, protect, support and help each other; expressed respect for the dedicated and responsible contributions of overseas Vietnamese to the country. The General Secretary suggested that overseas Vietnamese continue to promote their role as a bridge in the relationship between Viet Nam and other countries, bringing practical benefits to all parties, and contributing to the development of each country.

The General Secretary requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese and relevant ministries and agencies, and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to be responsible for listening to and receiving contributions from overseas Vietnamese, accompanying and supporting them.

On this occasion, General Secretary To Lam also attended the inauguration of Vietjet's new flight route connecting Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur, promoting economic, cultural and tourism relations between Viet Nam and Malaysia, as well as the whole of Southeast Asia. The opening of the new flight route takes place in the context of Viet Nam and Malaysia upgrading their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, opening up new opportunities for cooperation and development. Connecting the two capitals, the Hanoi - Kuala Lumpur flight route will strengthen the regional aviation network and create more value for economic and cultural cooperation.

The page of Thai Public Broadcasting (Thai PBS) on November 22 published an article by veteran scholar Kavi Chongkittavorn, assessing that General Secretary To Lam's visit to Malaysia highlighted Vietnam's approach of taking the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the center, positioning both countries as key players in balancing external influences in Southeast Asia. The article also emphasized that General Secretary To Lam's visit to Malaysia from November 21 to 23 is significant because it comes at a time when the two ASEAN countries are navigating rapid geopolitical changes. Notably, both countries tend to stay ahead of global trends. Viet Nam and Malaysia both adopt a balancing strategy to manage relations with major powers such as China and the United States while maintaining good regional partnerships. The article asserts that General Secretary To Lam's visit will significantly promote Vietnam's approach towards ASEAN and its "bamboo diplomacy" policy.

Source: Viet Nam News Agency