HANOI, April 4 (Xinhua -RHC) -- Vietnam and Malaysia agreed on Friday to consider upgrading bilateral ties to strategic partnership.

"This is a favorable time for Malaysia and Vietnam to promote and evaluate bilateral ties to strategic partnership," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said in Hanoi on Friday.

Najib made the remarks at a joint press briefing with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung after meeting during his official visit to Vietnam.

Najib said that he and his Vietnamese counterpart agreed to assign the two countries' foreign ministries and Malaysia-Vietnam joint commission to work on realizing the strategic partnership.

Najib invited his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Malaysia to discuss the strategic partnership.

Nguyen Tan Dung said that Vietnam and Malaysia agreed to sign agreements including joint patrol coordinating, establishing hotlines between two countries' navies, preventing and combating transnational crimes, rice trading, and recruiting Vietnamese laborers to work in Malaysia.

"Vietnam will support Malaysia as the country is holding chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2015," he said.

Najib proposed close cooperation between Petronas, the state oil and gas company of Malaysia, and Vietnam National Oil and Gas Corporation (PetrolVietnam), not only in the current joint exploitation activities but also extending mining activities in other areas.

"Malaysia and Vietnam attach great importance to maintaining peace and stability, as well as navigation, aviation freedom and security in the region," said Najib.