VN, Brunei lift up bilateral ties to comprehensive partnership

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong (R) welcomes Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah at the Presidential Palace in Ha Noi on March 27, 2019. Photo: VGP

State President Trong hosts welcome ceremony for Sultan of Brunei Darussalam 

Maritime cooperation should be considered a pillar in VN-Brunei relations: PM

Brunei is the 12th comprehensive partner of Viet Nam, after South Africa (2004), Chile, Brazil and Venezuela (2007), New Zealand (2009), Argentina (2010), Ukraine (2011), the US and Denmark (2013), Myanmar (2017), Hungary (2018).

Viet Nam set up strategic partnership with 16 countries, namely Russia (2001), India (2007), China (2008), Japan and the Republic of Korea and Spain (2009), the UK (2010), Germany and Italy (2011), Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and France (2013), Malaysia and the Philippines (2015), Australia (2018).

The Southeast Asian country also established sectoral strategic partnership with the Netherlands and Denmark in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

During their talks, the two leaders stressed that the establishment of the comprehensive partnership came as a result of positive and solid progress of the bilateral ties over the past time, creating fresh impetus for deepening the ties in an increasingly practical and effective manner.

Trong hailed Brunei as Viet Nam’s 4^th biggest investor in ASEAN with nearly 200 projects worth over US$1 billion, affirming Viet Nam will continue facilitating Brunei’s investment, especially in such key fields like infrastructure development, energy, high-tech agriculture, tourism and service.

The pair highly valued fruitful implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding on navy cooperation signed in 2013, vowing to further strengthen concrete cooperation among military forces and coordinate closely at multilateral defense fora, particularly within the ASEAN and ASEAN Plus.

Both sides underlined the importance of security cooperation amid numerous challenges in the region, pledging to share experience and expand cooperation in in combatting transnational crime, organized crime, human trafficking, terrorism and high-tech crime.

They also agreed to start exchanges towards signing agreements on extradition, legal assistance, and transfer of sentenced persons.

The two leaders shared the view that maritime cooperation is an important sector, thus both sides should beef up  cooperation in this area.

Regarding regional and international issues of common concern, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah congratulated Viet Nam on successfully organizing the second summit between the Democratic People’s Republic of Viet Nam and the United States of America last February, which reflects Viet Nam’s rising prestige and position on the international arena.

Both sides agreed to work closely as Viet Nam and Brunei take over the ASEAN Chairmanship role in 2020 and 2021, respectively, thus making contribution to the building of the ASEAN Community and promotion of the bloc’s centrality in shaping regional architecture based on open, transparent, and inclusive principles.

The two leaders reaffirmed their consistent positions on the East Sea issue, including persevering settlement of disputes through peaceful means in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also reaffirmed their support for full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and for accelerated efforts in formulating an effective and substantial Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with the roadmap agreed by relevant sides.

On the occasion, the two countries inked a Memorandum of Understanding under which both sides will use a hot line to exchange information and settle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities./.

By Quang Minh