The joint cooperation committee between Vietnam and Malaysia needs to hold a meeting as soon as possible to further promote effective cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, tourism, education and training.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the suggestion at a reception for visiting Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on October 17 in Hanoi.

At the reception, PM Dung highly valued the outcomes of the talks between the guest and Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan, and held that his Vietnam visit will further boost the two sides’ friendship and cooperation in all fields.

Vietnam attaches great importance to fostering cooperation with Malaysia, he added, wanting the two sides to early sign a cooperation agreement on food security and labour, and coordinate in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

He suggests both sides step up cooperation in maintaining peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea.

The Malaysian guest affirmed that his country will work closely with Vietnam in peacefully addressing disputes in the East Sea based on international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fully realising the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and advancing towards the early establishment of the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC).

Muhyiddin Yassin said his visit aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas of education, training and agriculture.

Specifically, the two sides have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on higher education and human resources training with the view to bolstering exchanges in the field, he noted.

Emphasising the cooperation potential between the two countries, the guest wanted the Vietnamese Government to continue creating favourable conditions for Malaysian businesses that make long-term investments in the country as well as facilitating two-way trade.-VNA