Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary To Lam received Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Hanoi on November 30, who is on a state visit to Vietnam.
The Party chief warmly welcomed the Sultan on his seventh visit to Vietnam, expressing confidence that the trip will advance the Vietnam–Brunei Comprehensive Partnership in a more substantive and effective manner.
He praised Brunei’s significant achievements in nation-building and development, notably strong economic growth and ensured social welfare, with a human development index ranked among the “very high” group globally, and wished Brunei success in implementing its national vision 2035.
Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah expressed his delight at returning to Vietnam since 2019 and his desire to further strengthen the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership. He also extended his sympathy to Vietnamese residents in areas affected by floods and landslides, and the families of victims.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong development of the Vietnam–Brunei Comprehensive Partnership, with regular exchanges; bilateral trade in 2024 rising 165% from 2023, and the 500 million USD target for 2025 achieved ahead of schedule; and cooperation across defence-security, fisheries, oil and gas, education, and other sectors showing positive results.
They agreed to strengthen political trust; promote and facilitate trade and investment activities, enhance connectivity, and support businesses in exchanging information and seeking partners; and effectively tap cooperation potential in other sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, Halal products, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
General Secretary Lam called for enhanced maritime cooperation, including combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and responding to climate change.
The Sultan emphasised that Vietnam is an important trade partner and expressed a desire to boost collaboration in agriculture and food, and Halal products, encouraging Vietnamese firms to expand cooperation in oil and gas. He also suggested strengthening people-to-people exchanges through scholarship and training programmes.
The two sides committed to continuing coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly ASEAN and the United Nations; strengthening solidarity and unity while maintaining ASEAN’s centrality in the region; and promoting cooperation on regional and international issues of shared concern, including the East Sea issue.
On this occasion, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah invited General Secretary Lam to visit Brunei at a convenient time. The Vietnamese leader accepted the invitation with pleasure./.
