Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will make a three-day official visit to Vietnam starting tomorrow.

The Foreign Ministry, in a statement today, said she will also participate in the 3rd Asean Ministerial Meeting on Women (AMMW) scheduled to be held in Hanoi.

Wan Azizah is scheduled to have a meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh.

The two leaders are expected to discuss broad-ranging bilateral issues as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Wan Azizah is also expected to pay a courtesy call on Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and on National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The statement mentioned that this will be Wan Azizah’s first official visit to Vietnam after being appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister on May 21.

She will also meet the Malaysian diaspora in Hanoi.

The deputy prime minister will be accompanied on the Vietnam visit by Deputy Foreign Minister Marzuki Yahya as well as officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

The Foreign Ministry said 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Vietnam.

"Both countries continue to maintain close and comprehensive bilateral relations," it said.

Vietnam has been one of Malaysia's important trading partners, with total trade in 2017 amounting to US$11.7 billion, an increase of 13.9 per cent from 2016, making Malaysia its 13th largest trading partner in the world and 4th in Asean after Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

- Bernama