Hanoi (VNA) - Bilateral ties between Vietnam and Ukraine have made steady progress over the years, especially in terms of politics, economy, and trade, Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Yevhen Yenin said on November 3.

During a reception for Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Anh Tuan, Yenin said the ministry is preparing for the Vietnam-Ukraine political consultation, slated for 2021 in Kiev, as well as the visit to Vietnam by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Necessary procedures have also been conducted for the appointment of his country's ambassador to Vietnam, he said, adding Ukraine hopes for closer relations with ASEAN and has raised initiatives such as establishing an ASEAN centre and an ASEAN committee in the country.

It also would like to become an observer of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), the official added, calling on Vietnam to continue coordinating and guiding the Ukrainian foreign ministry on realising the ASEAN centre initiative.

 He used the occasion to congratulate Vietnam on successfully performing its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the ASEAN Chair 2020, thanking Vietnam's Vingroup for its timely support in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and extending his sympathies to Vietnam over the great losses from natural disasters in the central region.

For his part, Tuan congratulated Ukraine on its achievements in reform and European integration, and lauded its active participation in international forums and institutions, particularly its re-election to the UN Human Rights Council for 2020-2030.

The ambassador proposed the Ukrainian foreign ministry further facilitate the integration of the Vietnamese community./.