Hanoi (VNA) – Since Vietnam and Brunei establisheddiplomatic ties in 1992, their leaders have worked hard to preserve and promotethe bilateral friendship and multi-faceted cooperation.

As members of the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN), both Vietnam and Brunei have significantly contributed to allcooperation areas of the 10-member grouping, and played an active role inoutlining development and cooperation orientations and making major decisionsof the bloc.

They, therefore, have contributed to strengtheningsolidarity within ASEAN, raising its role and position in the region and theworld at large, and maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and developmentin the region.

On the occasion of the State visit to Vietnam bySultan Darussalam Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in 2019, the two sides advanced theirrelationship to a comprehensive partnership on March 27.

The upgrading is of great significance as it reflectsimprovements in both quantity and quality in the bilateral ties as well as the resolveof the two countries’ leaders to enhance the cooperation intensively and pragmatically,matching the new situation and common trends of the region and the world.

Also during the visit, then President NguyenPhu Trong held talks with the Brunei leader. Host and guest shared the view thereremains room for the two countries to boost economic cooperation.

Despite complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021,they still maintained high-level meetings flexibly. On thesidelines of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting in Jakarta, Prime MinisterPham Minh Chinh met the Brunei Sultan on April 24, while Chairman of theNational Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue held talks with Speaker of the LegislativeCouncil of Brunei Abdul Rahman Taib on June 9.  

Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of BruneiDarussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof also held phone talks with Vietnamese DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on January 19, 2021, and withForeign Minister Bui Thanh Son on April 13 the same year.

Small as it is in natural area and population, yet Brunei’sper capita income is the second highest in ASEAN, and the country has been seenas a promising market for Vietnamese consumer goods, farm produce and food.

After the opening of a direct air route between Ho ChiMinh City and Brunei in October 2014, Vietnam has increasingly become a populartourist destination for Brunei people, bringing the two countries closer.

In trade, Vietnamese goods such as coffee, juice anddried fruit have penetrated the Brunei market. Vietnamese construction firmshave started road, bridge, oil, gas, and fertiliser projects in Brunei, notablythe Vietnam Machinery Installation Corporation LILAMAl which won an 85 millionUSD bid to build a fertiliser plant.

The two countries have also cooperated closely in nationaldefence with the establishment of military attaché offices in each other’scountry and the regularly exchange of high-ranking delegations.

Cooperation in other fields like fishery, security, andtransnational crime combat has also been strengthened.

Education is also one of the priority cooperationareas between Vietnam and Brunei. The University of Brunei Darussalam and the Vietnam FPT University have exchanged many students and teachers.

Within his official visit to Brunei from September 6-8,Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Second Minister ofForeign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof co-chaired thesecond meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC-2)between the two countries.

 At the meeting, the two countries agreed to push ahead with the building of an action programme materialising the comprehensive partnership for the 2023-2027 period, arrange visits by their leaders, realise the signed agreements, extend the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on agriculture and fishery.

They will work together to cope with both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, including trans-national organised crime, cyber crime and terrorism.

The two sides will also increase negotiations on collaboration in the transfer of sentenced persons and the crime combat./.