Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi in Kuala Lumpur on May 27 during his trip to Malaysia for official visit and the 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings.
PM Pham Minh Chinh expressed his delight at the positive momentum in Vietnam - GCC relations since their previous meeting at the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF Davos) in January 2025, notably ongoing efforts to launch negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the GCC.
He proposed that the GCC Secretary-General support and expedite the necessary procedures to announce the start of FTA negotiations at the earliest possible date, as well as explore agreements on investment promotion and protection to create a more favourable environment for economic, trade, and investment ties.
The PM encouraged GCC investors and enterprises to expand their presence in Vietnam, especially in the development of international financial hubs, digital transformation, energy transition, and green economy projects.
The GCC Secretary-General congratulated Vietnam on its impressive success in economic growth and investment attraction, noting its emergence as a dynamic economy and major global manufacturing hub.
Affirming that all GCC member states value and wish to deepen cooperation with Vietnam, he agreed with PM Pham Minh Chinh's proposals, committing to the early launch of Vietnam-GCC FTA negotiations to establish a solid legal framework for economic ties.
Both sides agreed to effectively deliver on commitments made at this Summit, co-host trade and investment promotion events in Vietnam, and develop a concrete plan to realise the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the GCC Secretariat.
On the occasion, PM Pham MInh Chinh conveyed greetings from Party General Secretary To Lam and other high-ranking Vietnamese leaders. He expressed his wish to welcome the GCC Secretary-General to Vietnam this year. The GCC Secretary-General accepted the invitation with pleasure.
