Vietnam - Malaysia to sign MoU on agricultural cooperation

On 14 November, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang received and held talks with Mr. Dato’ Tan Yang Thai, the Malaysian Ambassador to Viet Nam. The meeting focused on discussing concrete cooperation areas and accelerating the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, and food security.

According to Minister Tran Duc Thang, Viet Nam and Malaysia have maintained a long-standing and trustworthy cooperative relationship, and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2024 is being actively implemented. This meeting is an important opportunity for both sides to concretize commitments and strengthen bilateral trade in agricultural and food products.

Malaysia is one of Viet Nam’s stable import - export markets for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. In 2024, two-way trade reached approximately 1.9 billion USD, of which Viet Nam’s exports accounted for 1.15 billion USD and imports 750 million USD.

The Minister affirmed that close cooperation on SPS measures between the two countries is essential to facilitate trade. For livestock products and animal feed, the two sides will soon conduct a review and provide feedback, with results to be completed before the two Ministers sign the MoU. Viet Nam will also support Malaysian businesses wishing to export processed pork, processed poultry meat, various types of eggs (fresh and processed), milk, and dairy products. Regarding Viet Nam’s fresh chili exports, the Minister requested that Malaysia shorten the licensing time and extend the validity period of import permits.

“Moreover, Viet Nam places great importance on promoting cooperation in the promising Halal food sector, which can bring practical benefits to both sides. Viet Nam has adopted a policy to develop a Halal ecosystem, creating high value-added products and services to serve both domestic and international demand,” Minister Tran Duc Thang stated.

Regarding the implementation of measures against IUU fishing, through the ASEAN Network on Combating IUU Fishing and bilateral cooperation mechanisms, focal-point officers of the two countries have regularly coordinated and exchanged information on Vietnamese fishing vessels violating Malaysia’s waters, enabling joint verification and timely handling in accordance with each country’s laws.

The Minister of Agriculture and Environment proposed that Malaysia share information on its regulations and licensing conditions for foreign fishing vessels operating in Malaysian waters. The Joint Working Group will meet next week to identify contact points related to IUU violations.

Responding to the Minister, Ambassador Dato’ Tan Yang Thai highly appreciated Viet Nam’s role in ensuring Malaysia’s food security during recent disruptions in global rice supplies. He emphasized that agriculture is a key pillar in Malaysia’s Action Plan to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. He expressed his hope that agricultural cooperation, food trade, and market access for Halal products will become highlights of the new phase of cooperation.

The Ambassador noted that he will report the points of consensus reached during today’s meeting with Minister Tran Duc Thang to Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security. The Joint Working Group between Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will promptly finalize the Memorandum of Understanding, with the two sides’ Departments of International Cooperation serving as focal points.

Ambassador Dato’ Tan Yang Thai stressed the significant potential for expanding bilateral agricultural trade, particularly Viet Nam’s ability to access the Halal market thanks to its diverse, stable, and high-quality agricultural products that are well-positioned to meet global Halal market demands.

Through the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their determination to complete the MoU so that the two Ministers can sign it no later than December 2025. Minister Tran Duc Thang emphasized that this will be an important document, providing a legal foundation to promote cooperation between the two countries’ agencies and expand investment collaboration among businesses.