During a phone conversation on Sunday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the recent call between Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam and U.S. President Donald Trump, calling it a positive signal welcomed by many countries in the region.

The conversation between PM Anwar Ibrahim and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh was held at Malaysia’s request to discuss bilateral ties and exchanged views on emerging regional and international issues.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the call, PM Ibrahim informed PM Chinh about Malaysia's upcoming initiatives as ASEAN Chair for 2025.

Malaysia will host the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting on April 10 to evaluate regional economic cooperation and coordinate responses to Washington’s newly-announced reciprocal tariffs, which include a 46-percent rate imposed on Vietnam, effective from April 9.

The 46-percent rate places Vietnam among those facing the steepest duties – higher than those imposed on competitors like Thailand (36 percent), Pakistan (29 percent), and the Philippines (17 percent). 

PM Chinh briefed his Malaysian counterpart on Vietnam’s diplomatic efforts, highlighting the Friday call between Party chief Lam and President Trump.

The top Vietnamese and U.S. officials discussed measures to remove trade obstacles and promote fair and sustainable trade. This included exploring the possibility of Vietnam reducing its import tariffs on U.S. goods to zero percent, while requesting the U.S. to apply a similar tariff rate to imports from Vietnam.

PM Chinh noted that the two top leaders agreed to work toward a bilateral trade agreement to formalize these commitments, and that Vietnamese Deputy PM Ho Duc Phoc is currently in the U.S. for further negotiations.

PM Ibrahim said that Malaysia and other countries in the region welcomed and highly valued the phone conversation between Party chief Lam and President Trump.

The Malaysian leader also expressed his full support for Vietnam's approach to the tariff issue.

On broader ASEAN issues, PM Ibrahim updated PM Chinh on Malaysia's efforts as ASEAN Chair to address the situation in Myanmar, including the Malaysian Foreign Minister's diplomatic visit to Myanmar last Saturday. 

He emphasized Malaysia's commitment to promoting dialogue and ensuring unity within ASEAN in resolving the Myanmar issue.

PM Chinh welcomed Malaysia’s leadership on the Myanmar issue and acknowledged its swift, responsible response in supporting earthquake recovery efforts in Myanmar.

He confirmed Vietnam’s continued support and its readiness to mediate or facilitate dialogue efforts as needed.

Both leaders agreed to maintain close communication and work together to deepen the Vietnam-Malaysia comprehensive strategic partnership in the upcoming period.

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