Hanoi (VNA) - Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah departed Hanoi on December 2, concluding his three-day state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong.
During his stay, the Sultan attended an official welcome ceremony, held talks with President Luong Cuong, and met with Party General Secretary To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
At the meetings, Vietnamese leaders welcomed the Sultan on his seventh visit to Vietnam and expressed confidence that the trip will further advance the Vietnam–Brunei Comprehensive Partnership in a more substantive and effective manner. They praised Brunei’s significant achievements in national development, including solid economic growth and guaranteed social welfare, with the Human Development Index ranking among the “very high” group globally, and wished Brunei success in realising its national development vision to 2035.
Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah voiced his desire to further strengthen the Comprehensive Partnership. He also extended his heartfelt condolences to families affected by recent floods and landslides in Vietnam.
Both sides noted with satisfaction the positive progress in bilateral ties, with regular high-level exchanges and strengthened cooperation across defence and security, fisheries, oil and gas, and education. Bilateral trade in 2024 rose by 165% from 2023, surpassing ahead of schedule the two countries’ target of 500 million USD by 2025.
Looking ahead, the two sides agreed to enhance political trust; promote and facilitate trade and investment activities; strengthen connectivity; and support businesses in exchanging information and seeking partners. They also consented to tap the potential for cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, Halal industry, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange.
On this occasion, the leaders issued a Vietnam–Brunei Joint Statement, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening cooperation across all areas./.
