Wan Azizah to visit Vietnam today
PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will make a three- day official visit to Vietnam starting today.
The Foreign Ministry ( Wisma Putra), in a statement yesterday, said she will also participate in the 3rd Asean Ministerial Meeting on Women (AMMW) scheduled to be held in Hanoi.
Dr Wan Azizah is scheduled to have a meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh.
The two leaders are expected to discuss broad-ranging bilateral issues as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Dr Wan Azizah is also expected to pay a courtesy call on Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and on National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
Wisma Putra said this will be Dr Wan Azizah’s first official visit to Vietnam after being appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister on May 21. It said Dr Wan Azizah will also meet the Malaysian diaspora in Hanoi. She will be accompanied on the Vietnam visit by Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya as well as officials from Wisma Putra and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
Wisma Putra said 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Vietnam.
“Both countries continue to maintain close and comprehensive bilateral relations,” it said.
Vietnam has been one of Malaysia’s important trading partners, with total trade in 2017 amounting to US$ 11.7 billion, an increase of 13.9 per cent from 2016, making Malaysia its 13th largest trading partner in the world and 4th in Asean after Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. — Bernama