Hanoi (VNA) – President of the Vietnam-MalaysiaFriendship Association Ngo Sach Thuc has highlighted the important role ofpeople-to-people diplomacy in the bilateral ties in an interview granted to theVietnam News Agency on the occasion ofthe 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic relations(March 30, 1973-2023).

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, especiallythe upgrading of the relationship to a strategic partnership in August 2015, Vietnam-Malaysia ties have been developing fruitfully, Thuc said, noting that currently,Vietnam is the only strategic partner of Malaysia in ASEAN.

Their cooperation in labour, education, and tourism hasproduced positive results. Notably, Malaysia was one of the top ten biggest Asiansources of tourists to Vietnam with some 400,000 visitors recorded in 2017.

In the field of trade, Malaysia was Vietnam’s second-largest trade partner in ASEAN in 2019 and the 9th biggestworldwide. Meanwhile, Vietnam was Malaysia’s third biggest trade partner in theregion.

Thuc cited statistics that showed two-way trade reached12.5 billion USD in 2021, up 25.3% year-on-year. The figure stood at 19.2 billionUSD last year, even surpassing the target of 18 billion USD set for 2025.

As of February 20, 2022, Malaysia ran 668 validprojects with a total registered capital of over 12.8 billion USD, ranking 10thout of 140 countries and territories that have invested in Vietnam.

“Substantial potential and space remain for the Vietnam-Malaysiarelationship,” he stressed. “People-to-people diplomacy remains a priority to bringthe two countries and cultures closer to the goal of cooperation andintegration.”

Asked about the Vietnam-Malaysia FriendshipAssociation, Thuc said since its inception on June 5, 1994, the association hasmaintained regular contact with the Malaysian Embassy in Hanoi and theVietnamese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and coordinated with relevant associationsto organise visits for Malaysian delegations to Vietnam.

The association has also hosted a range of exchangeprogrammes and meetings to celebrate major events between the two countries, hesaid, adding that since the beginning of this year, it has put forth a plan forthe celebration of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomaticties.

The association is working on a plan for the establishmentof twinning relations between Vietnamese and Malaysian localities as part of thecelebration, according to Thuc.

The association also plans to dispatch a delegation toMalaysia this year in an effort to step up people-to-people exchanges, he said.

For the Malaysian side, Thuc said the formation of theMalaysia-Vietnam Friendship Association in August 2022 will open up cooperationand connection opportunities between people of the two countries in the timeahead.

Thuc expressed his belief that friendship activities betweenVietnam and Malaysia will be more diverse and successful this year.
He quoted the Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam as saying during their recent working session that Malaysian investors are interested inVietnam, considering it an ideal destination.

The ambassador pointed to ample room in Malaysia’s Halalfood sector for Vietnam, which has strengths in agriculture, to optimise, Thucsaid./.