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, hisvisiting Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim and their spouses on July 21 called at a book street in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district where they experienced anoutdoor 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 – aspecialty of the Central Highland province of Lam Dong, PM Chinh told hisMalaysian counterpart about the reading culture of Vietnamese people.
PM Chinh said that the Party and State of Vietnam attach greatimportance to promoting the reading culture. The Government has designated April 21 as Vietnam Book Day and launched a project onthe development of reading culture in the community as of 2020, with a vision to2030.
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 trongtu” (Diary in Prison) by late President Ho Chi Minh, the book “The World People's Affection For President HoChi Minh", and another book “Some theoretical and practical issues onsocialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam” by Party General SecretaryNguyen Phu Trong.
This is the first time PM Anwar has visited Vietnam. Despite his busy schedule, the two leaders spent precioustime visiting the book street, reflecting the closeness and opennessbetween the two leaders.
Earlier, on July 20, the two leaders held talks and expressedtheir satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations over the pasttime, especially after it was upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2015.
The two PMs agreed to increase the exchange ofhigh-level delegations and meetings; strive to bring bilateral trade turnoverto 18 billion USD by 2025; make good use of opportunities from regional tradeagreements; expand cooperation in the fields of digital economy, circulareconomy, green economy, sharing economy; strengthen cooperation in defence andsecurity, marine cooperation; promote cooperation in tourism, education,training, labour, agriculture, culture and sports; coordinate and support eachother in regional and international forums and mechanisms.
PM Chinh thanked and proposed Malaysia continue tocreate 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 ofgreat significance as the two countries are celebrating the 50thanniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations; contributing tomaking Vietnam - Malaysia relations more practical andeffective./.
