Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (centre) and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim (left) are at a store on Hanoi's book street. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his visiting Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim and their spouses on July 21 called at a book street in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district where they experienced an outdoor reading space and enjoyed Vietnamese coffee.
Walking around book booths, the two government leaders met and talked to local readers.
While they together enjoyed Arabica and Robusta coffee – a specialty of the Central Highland province of Lam Dong, PM Chinh told his Malaysian counterpart about the reading culture of Vietnamese people.
PM Chinh said that the Party and State of Vietnam attach great importance to promoting the reading culture. The Government has designated April 21 as Vietnam Book Day and launched a project on the development of reading culture in the community as of 2020, with a vision to 2030.
In Vietnam today, libraries are available not only in offices and schools but also in villages, he said.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his visiting Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim and their spouses enjoyed coffee at the outdoor reading space on Hanoi's book street. (Photo: VNA) On this occasion, he introduced and presented to PM Anwar the poem collection “Nhat ky trong tu” (Diary in Prison) by late President Ho Chi Minh, the book “The World People's Affection For President Ho Chi Minh", and another book “Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam” by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
This is the first time PM Anwar has visited Vietnam. Despite his busy schedule, the two leaders spent precious time visiting the book street, reflecting the closeness and openness between the two leaders.
Earlier, on July 20, the two leaders held talks and expressed their satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations over the past time, especially after it was upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2015.
The two PMs agreed to increase the exchange of high-level delegations and meetings; strive to bring bilateral trade turnover to 18 billion USD by 2025; make good use of opportunities from regional trade agreements; expand cooperation in the fields of digital economy, circular economy, green economy, sharing economy; strengthen cooperation in defence and security, marine cooperation; promote cooperation in tourism, education, training, labour, agriculture, culture and sports; coordinate and support each other in regional and international forums and mechanisms.
PM Chinh thanked and proposed Malaysia continue to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Malaysia to live, work and study stably in the country.
PM Anwar's ongoing visit to Vietnam is of great significance as the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations; contributing to making Vietnam - Malaysia relations more practical and effective./.
