Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam in Kuala Lumpur on May 27. (Photo: VNA)

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah opened the meeting by extending his deepest condolences to the Vietnamese State, Government and people over the passing of former State President Tran Duc Luong.

Laying stress on the robust development of the Viet Nam-Brunei relations over more than 30 years, the Sultan expressed his wish to visit Viet Nam with the Queen this year to further strengthen the bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Identifying substantial untapped potential, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah outlined priority sectors for enhanced collaboration, including oil and gas, chemicals, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and halal food processing.

PM Chinh, for his part, expressed his gratitude for the Sultan's condolences over the passing of former State President Tran Duc Luong. He conveyed greetings from Party General Secretary To Lam, State President Luong Cuong, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to the Sultan.

He affirmed that relevant ministries and agencies will work closely with Brunei to ensure the success of the Sultan and Queen’s Viet Nam visit this year.

Regarding the bilateral cooperation, PM Chinh asked Brunei to continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms operating in the areas of oil and gas, chemicals, and food. He also sought additional fishing licences for Vietnamese vessels and fishermen to operate in Brunei waters.

Particularly significant was Viet Nam's request for Brunei's support in halal certification and food production, leveraging Viet Nam's abundant raw materials and agricultural resources.

Both leaders committed to effectively implementing the Viet Nam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership Action Plan for 2023–2027, while increasing exchanges at all levels and promoting people-to-people connections, creating momentum to deepen the bilateral ties in the coming time.