Vietnam and Malaysia have agreed on stronger cooperation in nationaldefence-security, labour, oil and gas, education-training, farming andaquaculture.

The agreement was reached during PresidentTruong Tan Sang’s meeting with visiting Malaysian Sultan Abdul HalimMu’adzam Shah in Hanoi on September 6, right after a welcome ceremony onthe same day.

Noting with pleasure their friendship andall-around cooperation over the past time, both sides raised ways toenhance Vietnam-Malaysia links in concrete realms.

PresidentSang hailed Malaysia as one of Vietnam’s top trading partners andinvestors. He promised all possible support for Malaysian firms to dobusiness in the country.

Both host and guest highly valuedthe activities to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties thisyear and agreed that visits by high-ranking delegations as well ascooperation among ministries, departments and localities, andpeople-to-people exchanges should go on.

Turning theirattention to regional and global issues of mutual interest, the hostsuggested the two sides continue working closely at regional andinternational forums, especially those within the framework of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Europe Meeting(ASEM), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the UnitedNations.

He spoke highly of Malaysia’s stance on the East Seaissue and recommended continued bilateral efforts with other ASEANmember states in this matter.

On the evening of the same day, President Sang hosted a banquet in honour of Sultan Abdul Shah and his entourage.-VNA