Vietnam and Malaysia urged to accelerate signing of rice trade agreement

On the evening of July 30, at the request of Malaysia, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a phone call with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The Malaysian Prime Minister provided an update to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on some measures Malaysia is taking as ASEAN Chair to address the tense situation on the Cambodia-Thailand border. He emphasized Malaysia's policy of promoting dialogue and ensuring solidarity and unity in resolving the border tension between the two countries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh continued to call on both sides to exercise restraint, refrain from using force, and peacefully and adequately resolve disagreements based on the fundamental principles of international law, the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the frequent phone calls between the two Prime Ministers, which allow for timely coordination and information sharing on issues of mutual concern. This reflects the increasingly high political trust between the two countries in general and between their senior leaders in particular, in the spirit of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Prime Minister respectfully conveyed greetings and best wishes for health from General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to the Malaysian Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh praised the efforts of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim personally and of Malaysia as ASEAN Chair in promoting the resolution of the border tension between Cambodia and Thailand. He specifically noted the meeting organized between the Cambodian Prime Minister and the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand on July 28, which resulted in a ceasefire agreement. This was viewed as a positive first step in controlling the escalation of the conflict between the two countries.

The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam always supports and is ready to participate in the efforts of ASEAN in general, and to coordinate with the ASEAN Chair, Malaysia, in particular, to resolve regional issues and maintain internal bloc solidarity. Vietnam is ready to send representatives to participate in ASEAN-led mechanisms to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, as proposed by the Malaysian Chair, and is interested in providing humanitarian aid to the people of both countries.

Discussing bilateral cooperation, the two Prime Ministers agreed to continue exchanges, strengthen trust, and coordinate measures to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This includes focusing on promoting cooperation in innovation, science and technology, energy, and power transmission among Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore to form an ASEAN power grid. They also agreed to soon sign an Agreement on Rice Trade for Vietnam to support Malaysia's food security.

The two Prime Ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, including trade and tariffs with other countries, for the peace, stability, and prosperity of both countries, the region, and the world.