Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse, along with their entourage, left Singapore on Friday for Bandar Seri Begawan, beginning their two-day official visit to Brunei at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.

After visiting Singapore for three days, the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation led by PM Chinh arrived at Brunei International Airport late Friday afternoon (local time).

Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadee Billah and his wife chaired a welcome ceremony for their Vietnamese guests at the airdrome, in the presence of Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Tran Van Khoa and his spouse. 

PM Chinh later the same day visited the Vietnamese Embassy, where he met embassy staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Brunei. 

The PM is scheduled to hold talks with the Sultan of Brunei, who concurrently serves as the Prime Minister and Ministers of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Finance and Economy of Brunei, on Saturday.

Chinh will also meet members of the Brunei Royal Family, and visit the National University of Brunei.

Also a part of the trip, the Vietnamese government leader will also witness the signing of cooperation documents between the two countries, and meet with a number of Brunei’s leading energy enterprises.

This is the first visit to Brunei by Prime Minister Chinh since he took office, also the first by a Vietnamese government leader to Brunei after 15 years.

The trip takes place in the context of the Vietnam-Brunei comprehensive partnership developing fruitfully, with the two nations celebrating their 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022.

Last year saw two-way trade reach US$725.8 million, up 134 percent from 2021, well surpassing the target of $500 million set for 2025. 

Brunei now ranks 26th among 141 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with a total registered investment of $971 million for 157 valid projects, mainly in manufacturing, processing, construction and real estate.

Currently, around 300 Vietnamese are living and working in Brunei. 

Over the past years, Vietnam and Brunei have promoted cooperation in various fields such as defense, energy, education, agriculture, navigation and others.

They have not only coordinated closely in regional and international matters of common concern, including the East Vietnam Sea issue, but also supported each other at multilateral forums, including the UN, APEC and ASEAN, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

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