By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) — Malaysia and Vietnam signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on Sunday to strengthen cooperation in energy, education, and regional integration, according to Malaysian media reports.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, who is on an official visit to Kuala Lumpur, witnessed the exchange of three documents following their meeting at the Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative capital, Malay Mail reported.
Vietnam is Malaysia's 11th largest trading partner in the world and the fourth largest among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states.
Malaysian companies have implemented over 700 projects in Vietnam, with total investments of more than $13 billion (RM55 billion), according to the state-run Bernama news agency.
Later, Anwar met with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone to discuss strengthening ties and exploring collaborations in digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, alternative energy, and the ASEAN Power Grid, a cross-border energy project that connects Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand to Malaysia and Singapore.
The meetings come as Malaysia prepares to host the summit on Monday, where leaders from the 10-member bloc are expected to discuss a variety of regional and global issues.
ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Malaysia will hold the bloc's rotating chairmanship in 2025.