UAE’s 47th National Day marked in Hanoi

Hanoi (VNA) – The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Vietnam held a ceremony in Hanoi on November 29 to celebrate the UAE’s 47th National Day (December 2) and the 25th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties with Vietnam. 

Speaking at the event, UAE Ambassador to Vietnam Obaid Saeed Obaid Bintaresh Al Dhaheri said bilateral ties have been strengthened via mutual visits and support at international organisations and forums, and reflected by the growing two-way trade. 

The UAE has become a major trade partner of Vietnam in the Middle East and Africa with bilateral trade surpassing 6 billion USD, accounting for one-third of Vietnam’s trade with regional countries. Both sides are striving to lift two-way trade to about 10 billion USD by 2020, he said. 

The ambassador described the UAE as a major gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter Africa and the Middle East, while Vietnam is also a gateway for the UAE to access Southeast Asia. 

He said that the launch of daily flights between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Dubai by multiple UAE airlines has increased the number of tourists from the Middle East and Africa to Vietnam and vice versa. Flights by Vietnamese carriers to the regional countries have also given bilateral ties a boost. 

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Phuong Nga expressed her belief that under the sound leadership of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE people will continue reaping more successes and making positive contributions to peace and stability in the region and the world. 

She said Vietnam is delighted at the positive development of the bilateral friendship and all-around collaboration, especially in politics, diplomacy, trade, and investment over the past 25 years. 

With the determination of the two countries’ leaders and people, she said that important breakthroughs will be made in bilateral ties, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and the world.–VNA