Vietnam-Malaysia relationship upgraded to comprehensive strategic partnership

Vietnam and Malaysia have upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest level in the former’s diplomatic hierarchy.

Malaysia has become the ninth nation worldwide to have a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, after China, Russia, India, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia, and France.

The upgrade was announced during Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Malaysia on Thursday.

At a press meeting hosted by Lam and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to mark the milestone, both leaders emphasized enhanced cooperation in key areas, including security, defence, the digital economy and maritime collaboration.

The upgraded partnership reflects a deepened commitment to mutual development and stronger bilateral ties.

Speaking to the press, Vietnamese Party chief To Lam said both nations committed to supporting each other on their development paths, continuing to strengthen political trust and cooperation based on respect for international law, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions. This cooperation will also adhere to the principles of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.

Lam outlined the main pillars of the comprehensive strategic partnership: enhancing trust and cooperation in politics, defence and security to establish a solid foundation for their relationship and ensure a peaceful, stable environment for development through increased delegation exchanges and cooperation at all levels, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Both countries aim to implement existing dialogue mechanisms effectively while exploring new frameworks suited to mutual interests in the current context.

Economic connectivity will be promoted with the goal of achieving and surpassing bilateral trade turnover of $18 billion, striving for balance and mutual benefits. Both sides will boost cooperation in developing the Halal industry and encourage businesses from each country to expand their investments in the other market.

They also pledged to ensure mutual benefits from oil and gas cooperation and to consider establishing a mechanism for cooperative development in overlapping areas, if applicable.

The two countries will enhance cooperation in emerging fields such as green economy, innovation, science and technology, digital transformation, and green energy, alongside crucial sectors like education and training, human resource development, labour, culture, sports, tourism and people-to-people connections, to achieve sustainable development goals.

PM Anwar Ibrahim noted that many Malaysian enterprises are effectively investing and operating in Vietnam. He expressed gratitude and hopes that Vietnam would continue to facilitate Malaysian businesses investing in the country and support Malaysia in assuming the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025.

Both sides have collaborated on several projects in the oil and gas sector and look forward to enhancing cooperation in fisheries, based on mutual trust and friendship.

The Malaysian PM also expressed admiration for Vietnam's heroic history in its struggle for independence and its significant achievements across various sectors in recent years.

Vietnamese leader To Lam also emphasized a shared commitment to maintaining peace, security, stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).

Vietnam and Malaysia advocate resolving disputes peacefully without the threat or use of force, consistent with widely recognized international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Lam reaffirmed Vietnam's support for Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 and reiterated a commitment to close cooperation with Malaysia and other ASEAN member states to realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

He expressed confidence that with the brotherly, neighbouring relationship, shared cultural and historical similarities and shared aspirations for prosperity, the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Malaysia would open a new chapter of cooperation, contributing to peace, stability, sustainable and inclusive development and prosperity. This relationship will also strengthen ASEAN's solidarity, resilience and prosperity.

The Vietnamese and Malaysian leaders then witnessed the exchange of two cooperation documents, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance trade promotion cooperation between the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation, along with an MoU on renewable energy cooperation between state-owned energy giants PetroVietnam and Petronas.

Vietnam and Malaysia established their diplomatic relations on March 30, 1973. The bilateral relationship has developed fruitfully on the basis of the strategic partnership set up in August 2015.

Bilateral trade turnover in 2023 reached $12.7 billion. The figure for the first nine months of 2024 was $10.63 billion, up 14.1% year-on-year. The two sides are striving to increase trade turnover to $18 billion in 2025.

In the field of investment, Malaysia is the second largest ASEAN investor in Vietnam and ranked 11th out of 43 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with a total registered capital of over $13 billion, according to the Vietnamese embassy in Malaysia.

Previously, on October 8, Vietnam and France had announced the upgrade of their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

France became the first of the European Union and the eighth nation worldwide to have such a partnership with Vietnam, after China, Russia, India, South Korea, the United States, Japan, and Australia. As such, Vietnam has established such a partnership with four out of the five United Nations Security Council nations.