KUCHING: Malaysia has extended an invitation to Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to participate in the Asean Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) meeting, scheduled to take place here from Apr 20 to 25.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who personally delivered the invitation to Minister Nguyen Van Hung during his visit to Vietnam, said the meeting aims to explore opportunities for Asean collaboration and shared progress.
“During the meeting, I also proposed hosting a ‘Malaysia Tourism Night’ in Hanoi this July, along with other heritage-related events, and sought the Minister’s strong support to facilitate greater collaboration between tourism industry players from both nations.
“We also discussed air connectivity between Malaysia and Vietnam, with a shared hope of expanding flight routes to provide greater convenience for travellers from both countries.
“Additionally, we exchanged insights on Muslim-friendly tourism, cultural festivals and other initiatives, reaffirming Malaysia’s rich multicultural heritage and the need to create more platforms for exchange, mutual learning and cultural appreciation,” he said in a statement following his meeting with Hung in Vietnam.
Hung praised Malaysia, in its role as Asean Chair for 2025, for taking commendable initiatives in organizing key events such as the Asean Tourism Ministers’ Meeting.
These efforts, Hung said, have helped reinforce unity and consensus among Asean member states.
“He also highlighted the strong bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam in the areas of culture, tourism, and sports,” said Tiong.
Hung noted that both countries share many similarities and should intensify people-to-people exchanges to strengthen connections between their citizens — particularly by leveraging shared cultural heritage, the arts, and music to further boost the tourism sector.
