Hanoi (VNA) – Jordan considers Vietnam an important partner in Asia and wishes to step up cooperation, sharing and exchanges of experience in areas of mutual strength, particularly agricultural production, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, defence industry, cybersecurity, Halal production, and science-technology, Speaker of the Jordanian House of Representatives Mazen Turki El Qadi told Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at their meeting in Hanoi on the morning of February 3.
Against the backdrop of profound changes in the global and regional situation, PM Chinh stressed that Vietnam and Jordan, which share many common interests and values, need to further strengthen solidarity and cooperation to open up new opportunities for the benefit of their people, and for peace, stability and development in both regions and the world at large.
The Government leader highly appreciated Jordan’s important role in regional peace efforts, and reaffirmed Vietnam’s determination to consolidate political trust and expand multifaceted cooperation with Jordan.
Expressing his admiration for Vietnam’s significant socio-economic growth and development achievements in recent years, and speaking highly of its increasingly prominent role and position regionally and internationally, Speaker Mazen Turki El Qadi thanked Vietnam for its stance, viewpoint and support for the Palestinian people and the two-State solution.
He welcomed the Southeast Asian country’s participation in the Board of Peace and affirmed Jordan’s readiness to act as a bridge and cooperate closely with Vietnam in promoting peace, as well as implementing reconstruction and humanitarian programmes in the region.
The two sides agreed to intensify exchanges of delegations at all levels, establish and effectively operate bilateral cooperation mechanisms and frameworks, including moving towards establishing permanent representative offices in each other’s capitals, organising political consultation meetings, setting up a Vietnam-Jordan working group on business cooperation, and promoting the signing of important agreements on visa exemption, investment protection and the avoidance of double taxation.
On this occasion, PM Chinh conveyed invitations to Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and PM Jafar Hassan to pay official visits to Vietnam.
On economic cooperation, the two leaders agreed to work towards raising bilateral trade to 500 million USD by 2030 and 1 billion USD by 2035, to further open markets for each other’s key products, and to support one another in ensuring food security and developing the Halal industry.
The PM affirmed that Vietnam stands ready to ensure a stable and high-quality supply of agro-fishery products to Jordan, welcomed Jordanian enterprises to explore investment and business opportunities in the Vietnamese market, and proposed studying the application in Vietnam of Jordan’s coral reef-based technology for combating saltwater intrusion.
For his part, the Speaker suggested establishing a free trade zone for Vietnamese goods in Jordan for export to the Middle East, as well as forming joint ventures in potential sectors.
The two sides also discussed specific measures to promote cooperation in healthcare, tourism, education and training, and science and technology. They agreed to strengthen consultation, coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly at major organisations such as the United Nations and UNESCO, and to cooperate in addressing regional and global issues on the basis of respect for international law and each side’s principled positions./.
