- Title: Malaysia and Vietnam sign agreement to boost cooperation on maritime operations
- Date: 27th August 2019
- Summary: ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** WELCOMING CEREMONY IN PROGRESS VARIOUS OF MAHATHIR AND PHUC SHAKING HAND STATUE OF HO CHI MINH DELEGATES SEATED IN MEETING ROOM PHUC SPEAKING MAHATHIR LISTENING VARIOUS OF PHUC AND VIETNAMESE DELEGATION MAHATHIR LISTENING MEETING IN PROGRESS MALAYSIAN DELEGATION MAHATHIR SPEAKING PHUC LISTENING MALAYSIAN DELEGATION MAHATHIR SPEAKING VIETNAMESE DELEGATION MEETING IN PROGRESS MAHATHIR AND PHUC ENTERING THE PRESS BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER, MAHATHIR MOHAMAD, SAYING: "The world is experiencing a disregard for international laws, and many countries are affected because the big powers take the law into their own hands and they do things which are contrary to their stand on international, management of international relations." VIETNAMESE DELEGATION LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (English) MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER, MAHATHIR MOHAMAD, SAYING: "We also talked on overlapping claims with regard to the continental shelf, and we believe that such a dispute should be settled in a peaceful manner, through negotiation, through arbitration and possibly through a court of law." MALAYSIAN DELEGATION LOOKING ON (LEFT) MALAYSIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SAIFUDDIN ABDULAH, AND (RIGHT) VIETNAMESE DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENCE, PHAN VAN GIANG, SITTING DOWN AT THE SIGNING TABLE WHILE MAHATHIR AND PHUC WATCHING SAIFUDDIN SIGNING DOCUMENT GIANG SIGNING DOCUMENT SAIFUDDIN AND GIANG EXCHANGE DOCUMENT AND SHAKING HANDS SAIFUDDIN AND GIANG SHAKING HANDS AND WALKING AWAY MAHATHIR AND PHUC EXCHANGING HANDSHAKES WITH ABDULAH AND GIANG
- Embargoed: 10th September 2019 08:14
- Keywords: Malaysia Vietnam South China Sea tension bilateral meeting official visit Hanoi dispute
- Location: HANOI, VIETNAM
- City: HANOI, VIETNAM
- Country: Vietnam
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002ATZRYVB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad received a welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on Tuesday (August 27) hosted by Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc and held bilateral talks focusing on mutual interests and security.
Malaysia and Vietnam later signed an agreement to work forward a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 'Cooperation on law enforcing and search and rescue on the sea'. The agreement was signed by Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Phan Van Giang, and Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saifuddin Abdulah, and witnessed by Phuc and Mohamad.
The meeting between Malaysia and Vietnam took place amid China's increasing assertion in the East Sea (South China Sea) and the Indian Ocean, which the Pentagon have expressed concerns in a statement on Monday (August 26).
Mahathir said the "big powers" have taken the law "into the own hands" and doing things that are contrary to international understanding.
Vietnam and Malaysia have long been embroiled in maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea. The Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to parts of the potentially energy-rich maritime territory, also a busy shipping lane.
(Production: Thinh Nguyen, Minh Nguyen) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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