The agriculture ministries of Vietnam and Saudi Arabia have agreed to set up a working group to speed up bilateral cooperation in the field.

The agreement was reached at talks between Vietnam’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat and Saudi Arabian Agriculture Minister Fahdbin Abdul Rahman Balghanim in Hanoi on March 25.

Minister Phat said both sides also agreed to increase the exchange of cooperative delegations, in order to devise concrete projects.

He said the Vietnamese Government offers preferential treatment and always facilitates foreign investors, particularly in agriculture.

The Saudi Arabian Minister said he hoped Vietnamese businesses will introduce their products at a fair to be held in Saudi Arabia in September.

Saudi Arabia is one of Vietnam’s largest trade partners in the Middle East, with two-way trade reaching 744 million USD in 2010, a year-on-year rise of 64 percent, and 125 million USD in the first two months of 2011./.