Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held aphone talk with Brunei Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato Erywan PehinYusof on April 13, during which both agreed to regularly and effectively maintain thenations’ mechanism of joint committee on bilateral cooperation.

At their phone call, the Brunei minister congratulated Son on his appointment as Foreign Minister, praised Vietnam’s attainments in pandemicprevention and socio-economic development as well as outstanding achievements inexternal relations, including its 2020 ASEAN chairmanship and the position as anon-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020 – 2021.

Minister Son, meanwhile, spoke highly of the two nations lifting oftheir ties to comprehensive partnership on the occasion of the Sultan of Brunei’s visit toVietnam in 2019 and expressed his delight at the sound development of the two countries' cooperation,particularly in trade last year despite COVID-19.

Both ministers agreed to soon build an action plan toimplement the comprehensive partnership for the next five years and regularly and effectively maintain the nations’ mechanism of joint committee on bilateral cooperation while studying to establish a political consultation mechanism and signing a memorandum ofunderstanding on cooperation between the two foreign ministries as soon as possible.

They also concurred on boosting the two nations’ cooperationin trade and investment.

Son took the occasion to thank Brunei and other ASEAN memberstates for supporting Vietnam in holding its role as ASEAN Chair in 2020 and as a non-permanent memberof the UN Security Council for 2020 – 2021.

Vietnam actively backs Brunei’s ASEAN chairmanship thisyear, he affirmed.

Son invited Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof to visit Vietnam at a convenient time, and the Brunei minister accepted the invitation with pleasure./.