Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan at 5:25 pm (local time) on February 10, beginning his two-day official visit to Brunei at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.
A welcome ceremony for PM Chinh and his spouse was chaired by the Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadee Billah at Brunei International Airport.
 |
| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) and Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadee Billah at the welcoming ceremony__Photo: VNA |
This is the first visit to Brunei by Chinh in his new position, also the first by a Vietnamese PM to the Southeast Asian nation over the past 15 years.
The trip takes place in the context of the well-developed Vietnam-Brunei comprehensive partnership. The two countries celebrated the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022, with bilateral contacts at all levels as well as cooperation mechanisms maintained effectively.
The two countries surpassed their goal of USD 500 million for two-way trade set for 2025. In October 2022, their trade stood at USD 638.5 million, up 141.4 percent year-on-year. As of December last year, Brunei ranked 26th among the 141 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with 157 valid projects worth USD 971 million, mainly in processing, manufacturing, construction and real estate.
Vietnam and Brunei have collaborated in a series of fields, particularly defense, energy, agriculture, education, maritime area, and people-to-people exchange. They have also worked closely together in regional and international matters of common concern, including the East Sea issue; and supported each other at multilateral forums such as the UN, ASEAN, and APEC.
While in Brunei, PM Chinh is scheduled to hold talks with the Sultan; visit the premises of a Bruneian business; receive a number of big local enterprises; and meet with representatives of the Vietnamese community.- (VNA/VLLF)
