PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hosted an official luncheon at the Seri Perdana complex in honor of To Lam, the visiting General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Lam, on a three-day official visit, arrived at the prime minister’s official residence at 1:35 pm.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the luncheon was attended by Lam’s delegation as well as his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, and the Prime Minister’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Other notable attendees included Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Earlier in the day, Lam and Anwar conducted a meeting aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations. During the meeting, they witnessed the exchange of the Memorandum of Understanding on Enhancing Trade Promotion between the Malaysia Extern
al Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE). They also observed the signing of the Memorandum of Collaboration between PETRONAS and PETROVIETNAM in the field of renewable energy.

During his visit, Lam is scheduled to meet with the Senate President Senator Datuk Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul at Parliament. This visit marks the first time Malaysia has hosted a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam since March 1994, a year before Vietnam officially joined ASEAN.