Hanoi (VNA) – Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah arrived in Hanoi on November 30 afternoon, beginning his three-day state visit to Vietnam through December 2 at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong.
He was greeted at Noi Bai International Airport by head of the Presidential Office Le Khanh Hai, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Tran Anh Vu, and Hanoi People’s Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Manh Quyen, among others.
Speaking to a Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in Southeast Asia, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Tran Anh Vu said the visit reaffirms both countries’ determination to keep consolidating and deepening their friendship and cooperation across various areas following the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2019.
Both sides are scheduled to review progress of cooperation areas under the 2023–2027 Plan of Action to realise the Comprehensive Partnership adopted during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Brunei in February 2023. Notably, the visit provides an opportunity for both countries to discuss steps to accelerate collaboration in priority areas, including politics-diplomacy, national defence–security, energy, Halal industry, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, alongside other areas of mutual interest.
For Brunei, the visit reflects its high regard and enduring friendship toward Vietnam as a trusted partner within ASEAN. For Vietnam, welcoming the Sultan underscores the Party and State’s foreign policy of valuing relations with ASEAN member states, further consolidating and enhancing multifaceted cooperation with Brunei, and contributing to regional peace, stability, cooperation and development, Vu added./.
