Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on April 24 met with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, on his visit to the country to attend the 22nd ASEAN Summit.

 The two leaders highly valued the fine development of friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries over the past time, as well as the exchange of high-level meetings.  

PM Nguyen Tan Dung and Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Photo: VGP

 

 Dung congratulated Brunei on undertaking the 2013 ASEAN Chair and highly valued its ties with the country. Brunei has so far invested in 192 projects worth nearly 4.9 billion USD, ranking 12th of the countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Two-way trade hit 600 million USD last year, tripling that of 2011.

 PM Dung also suggested the two sides speed up negotiations and promptly sign memoranda of understanding on agriculture, fishery and labour cooperation, and an agreement to encourage and protect investment.

 He thanked the Brunei Government for receiving and creating all possible favourable conditions for Vietnamese workers in the country.

 The two sides pledged to further strengthen mutual trust, understanding and the exchange of high-level delegations between the two nations’ ministries and departments.

 The two nations will promote links in economics, trade and investment to tap each side’s potential, meeting the aspirations of the two peoples.

 The Brunei Sultan vowed to facilitate links in oil and gas, fisheries and agriculture with Vietnam.

 Regarding regional and international issues, the two leaders agreed to increase exchanges and consultations on issues of common concern, support each other at regional and international forums, particularly within ASEAN.

 The two sides pledged to closely coordinate with each other and with other ASEAN members in order to maintain solidarity, uphold ASEAN’s central role in the regional processes and speed up the building of an ASEAN Community by 2015.

 The two sides emphasised the need to ensure peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea; settle any disputes by peaceful means on the basic of respecting international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; as well as promote ASEAN’s Declaration on the Six-Point Principles and soon formulate a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

 The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

VNA