At noon on November 21 (local time), General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, beginning an official visit to Malaysia from November 21–23.

The official welcoming ceremony for General Secretary To Lam and his spouse was held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative center, with the highest honors reserved for heads of state.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his spouse personally welcomed General Secretary To Lam and his spouse at their vehicle and escorted them to the honor podium. National anthems of Vietnam and Malaysia were performed by the ceremonial band, followed by the Honor Guard commander’s report and an inspection of the Honor Guard by General Secretary To Lam.

The event was attended by senior officials from both Vietnam and Malaysia, as well as ambassadors and representatives of foreign missions in Malaysia.

After the ceremony, General Secretary To Lam signed the official guestbook at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Following the ceremony, General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held both a private meeting and official discussions. The two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents and delivered joint statements to the press.

During the discussions, they shared updates on their respective countries and exchanged views on deepening bilateral relations. Key topics included strengthening political trust and expanding cooperation in areas such as security and defense, economics, trade, investment, labor, tourism, and cultural exchanges.

The visit comes as the two countries prepare to celebrate 10 years of their Strategic Partnership. Over the past decade, Vietnam-Malaysia ties have grown significantly, particularly in trade and investment.

Malaysia is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner within ASEAN and ranks 11th globally. It is also ASEAN’s second-largest investor in Vietnam, with a total registered capital exceeding $13 billion, placing it 11th among 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

Since upgrading their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2015, bilateral trade has nearly doubled, rising from over $8 billion in 2014 to more than $14 billion in 2022. The two nations are now working toward a bilateral trade target of $18 billion.