Deputy FM: PM’s visit lifts Vietnam – Myanmar relationship

 

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Minh Khoi has said the recent visit to Myanmar by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was a success, laying an important foundation to lift their bilateral comprehensive cooperative partnership to new heights.

In an interview recently granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Deputy FM Khoi said Myanmar welcomed PM Phuc with the country’s highest ceremonial rituals.

During the visit, the PM held talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, met President Win Myint and Speaker of the Union Assembly of Myanmar T. Khun Myat, received Chief Minister of Yangon Region Phyo Min Thein and the Chairman of the Myanmar – Vietnam Friendship Association, visited several outstanding Vietnamese firms and attended the inauguration of Vietnam’s HDBank branch in Yangon.

Khoi said Myanmar’s leaders lauded Vietnam as a significant and trustworthy partner, and agreed to enhance ties with Vietnam via facilitating high-level visits, people-to-people exchange and locality-to-locality cooperation.

Both sides signed and exchanged four documents, including the Action Programme for the 2019 – 2024 period.

Two-way trade soared from 152 million USD in 2010 to 860 million USD in 2018 and is expected to reach 1.05 billion USD this year. Vietnam is now the seventh largest investor in Myanmar with 25 projects worth nearly 2.2 billion USD.

The two sides pledged to simplify procedures for Vietnam’s exports, make it easier for Vietnamese firms to access more business opportunities in Myanmar, speed up licensing and offer incentives to Vietnamese investors, and meet their demand in the fields of telecommunications, mining, infrastructure, housing, urban technical infrastructure and transportation.

They also explored the possibility of establishing the Vietnam Industrial Park in Myanmar to draw more Vietnamese investment to the country.  

On national defence-security, they promised to expand collaboration in navy, military medicine, defence industry, logistics, border management, the fight against trans-national crimes, including drug trafficking, and sign extradition agreements.

Regarding regional and global issues, Myanmar congratulated Vietnam on winning a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council for the 2020 – 2021 tenure with an absolute majority of votes.

The Myanmar side vowed to work closely and offer mutual support to Vietnam at international forums, especially when Vietnam assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020, in order to maintain the solidarity, unity and central role of the bloc.

With regards to the East Sea issue, both sides expressed support for ASEAN’s common stance and highlighted the need to settle disputes by peaceful means in line with international  law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, while maintaining freedom and ensuring maritime and aviation security and safety in the East Sea.

Khoi said as the two nations will celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, the visit once again affirmed the high level of trust between both sides and strengthened their cooperation in ASEAN.

In order to realise the outcomes of the visit, he suggested maintaining and effectively upholding bilateral mechanisms, particularly the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation and the joint sub-committee on trade.

He expressed his belief that with high trust and determination, the two countries will find great cooperation opportunities and achieve positive results in the near future./.