During the State visit to Viet Nam by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam from November 30 to December 2, 2025, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang held talks with Dato Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam. At the meeting, the two sides signed two important Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), opening up new avenues for cooperation between the two ministries.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Tran Duc Thang welcomed Minister Dato Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin and highly appreciated Brunei’s role in promoting agricultural and fisheries cooperation in recent years. He emphasized that the long-standing friendship and mutual trust between the two countries, especially within the ASEAN framework, provide a solid foundation for expanding bilateral cooperation.
“We always attach great importance to cooperation with Brunei. General Secretary To Lam and the Party Central Committee highly value cooperation with our ASEAN partners, including Brunei. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment stands ready to coordinate across all areas,” Minister Tran Duc Thang said.
Minister Dato Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin thanked Minister Tran Duc Thang and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for the warm reception, and highlighted the significance of the two documents signed during the visit: the MOU on Fisheries Cooperation, and the MOU on the Use of a Hotline for Information Exchange on IUU Fishing (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing).
Minister Tran Duc Thang presents a commemorative gift to Dato Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism of Brunei Darussalam, during their working meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Photo: Khuong Trung.According to Minister Dato Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin, the two agreements demonstrate the shared commitment of Viet Nam and Brunei to strengthening cooperation and conserving marine resources. He acknowledged the close collaboration between the fisheries authorities of both countries, particularly in shrimp aquaculture, and expressed Brunei’s interest in expanding investment with Viet Nam in the coming period.
Minister Dato Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin also referred to the recent meeting between the General Secretary of Viet Nam and the Sultan of Brunei, at which both sides agreed to promote comprehensive cooperation, including in the fisheries sector.
At the meeting, Minister Tran Duc Thang noted that bilateral cooperation potential remains substantial, not only in fisheries but also in food agriculture, scientific research, and the development of HALAL products for export to Brunei and onward to other markets.
“The approval of international agreements, together with close coordination between our embassies, will help expand cooperation in agriculture, environment and fisheries,” he said, adding that the Ministry hopes to hold further in-depth technical meetings to accelerate implementation.
Minister Dato Dr. Abdul Manaf Metussin stressed his expectation that “the two cooperation documents should not stop at the signing stage, but must be translated into concrete projects.” He noted that Brunei is currently working with fisheries research institutes to enhance post-harvest technologies and expressed hope for stronger technical support from Viet Nam in the next phase.