Malaysia's New Ambassador To Vietnam Granted Audience With Vietnam's Acting President

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Tan Yang Thai, on Wednesday had an audience with Acting President of Vietnam Vo Thi Anh Xuan, with both sides discussing a wide range of bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest including on economics, defence, security and agriculture.

During the audience which took place at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Tan, who also presented his letter of credence to the acting president, mentioned to her that the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-Vietnam bilateral relations will be celebrated this coming March 30.

He had also extended cordial greetings from Their Majesties the Malaysia's King and Queen, and the felicitations on behalf of the Malaysian government and people to the government and people of Vietnam, according to a statement sent by the Malaysian Embassy in Vietnam to Bernama.

Prior to this, Tan, who is a career diplomat serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia, since 1995, was the Malaysian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and concurrently accredited to the Maldives from August 2018-January 2023.

Tan, who holds a Masters degree in International Relations from Japan’s Waseda University, was the Undersecretary of South and Central Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia, from January 2017 to July 2018.

Malaysia established diplomatic relations with Vietnam on March 30, 1973. Both countries elevated their bilateral cooperation through the signing of the Joint Statement on the Framework of Strategic Partnership on Aug 7, 2015.

Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Vietnam has seen a significant increase in recent years. In 2022, total bilateral trade between the two countries increased by 18.2 per cent to US$17.82 billion from US$15.08 billion in the corresponding period of 2021.

-- BERNAMA