Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 25 for visiting Vice Secretary of the Party Committee of China’s Yunnan province Qiu He.

Minh spoke highly of the positive development in relations between Vietnamese ministries and localities and Yunnan province, affirming that the Vietnamese Party and Government always encourage strengthening the bilateral ties.

He asked Yunnan authorities to work more closely with the Vietnamese side to organise the fifth meeting of a joint working group between the province and four Vietnamese border localities in July in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.

The Vietnamese official also proposed intensifying bilateral cooperation, especially in agriculture, trade, investment, tourism and transport.

Qiu He said Yunnan province treasures its ties with Vietnam, adding that he hopes their cooperation projects will bear more fruits.

He took this occasion to invite Vietnamese officials to attend the second China-South Asia Expo and the 22 nd Kunming Trade Fair, which will be held in the province on June 6-10.-VNA