Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The state-level visit to Vietnam by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Bruneifrom March 26-28 will be a new hallmark in the 27-year diplomatic ties betweenthe two countries, helping to consolidate and enhance bilateral cooperation acrossall spheres, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Do Anh Tuan has said.
After the visit, the two countries are expected to continue their mutualsupport at multilateral forums and international organisations, and contributeto the common voice of solidarity and the central role of the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to which both are members.
They will also work to maintain and promote peace, security, stability, safety,and freedom of aviation and navigation in the region, the ambassador said.
The visit takes place amidst fruitful developments of the friendship andmultifaceted cooperation between the two countries.
Vietnam and Brunei set up diplomatic ties in 1992. As members of ASEAN, bothcountries have made significant contributions to the bloc’s collaborationacross all fields, identifying its future development and cooperationorientations as well as major decisions and policies.
They have joined efforts to strengthen solidarity, improve the role andposition of ASEAN in the region and the world, and ensure regional peace,stability, collaboration, and development.
In the realm of politics, the two sides have maintained high-level visits and meetings,including visits to Brunei by President Tran Duc Luong in 2001, Prime MinisterNguyen Tan Dung in 2007, and President Truong Tan Sang in 2012.
During the official visit to Brunei by President Tran Dai Quang in 2016, thetwo sides signed a joint statement under which they committed to intensifyingthe bilateral economic ties, aiming to raise two-way trade to 500 million USDby 2025 and facilitate investment and business links between the two countries.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has also visited Vietnam and attended the Asia-EuropeMeeting (ASEM) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forums hostedby the country.
In 2017, the two countries marked the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomaticties with the first meeting of the Vietnam-Brunei Joint Commission forBilateral Cooperation in Hanoi. The second meeting was scheduled for 2019 inBrunei.
Brunei has supported Vietnam in joining such international forums as the UNESCOExecutive Board for 2015-2019, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for2016-2018, and the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for 2020-2021.The two countries have also cooperated fruitfully within ASEAN and otherregional and international forums.
With its per capita income ranking second in ASEAN, Brunei has been seen as apromising market for Vietnamese consumption, farm produce, and food goods asthe country is unable to produce them at home.
As of February 2019, two-way trade had reached 43 million USD, with 39 millionUSD coming from Vietnam’s imports. In 2018, bilateral trade exceeded 54 millionUSD, of which Vietnam’s import revenue was 36 million USD.
Vietnam mainly exports seafood and rice to Brunei, and imports chemicals fromthe country.
As of late 2018, Brunei ranked 21st among 128 countries and territoriesinvesting in Vietnam, and fourth among Vietnam’s ASEAN investors after Singapore, Malaysia, andThailand, with 179 projects worth over 1 billion USD.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is running two projects in Brunei with the total registeredcapital of 3.6 million USD.
In national defence, Vietnam and Brunei have set up attache offices in therespective countries, and regularly exchanged high-ranking delegations.
Furthermore, they have partnered in tourism, fishery, security, cross-bordercrime combat, and education. They are completing procedures for the signing ofan agreement on setting up a hotline on fishing at sea, while gearing towardsthe signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cultural cooperation. –VNA
VNA
