Vietnam always attaches importance to stepping up traditional relations and all-around cooperation with Myanmar, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan told Myanmar President Thein Sein on March 19.

The meeting with President Thein Sein was part of the VFF leader’s ongoing visit to the ASEAN member state.

Nhan spoke of Myanmar’s significant achievements in national construction and development, while hailing Myanmar’s role as Chair of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2014.

Myanmar made positive contributions to promoting the establishment of an ASEAN Community as well as enhancing cooperation between the bloc and its partners, he noted.

According to Nhan, Vietnam-Myanmar relations have seen increasingly fruitful development, especially after high-level visits of the two countries’ leaders and the signing of a joint statement on cooperation in 12 priority fields between the two governments.

For his part, President Thein Sein said he hopes Vietnam will support his country in developing the agricultural and fishery sectors, which are strengths of Vietnam.

He also pledged that the Myanmar Government will consider allowing the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam and the Viettel Joint Venture to operate in the country as soon as possible.

The host also proposed that the two countries should enhance their links though road routes passing through Laos, thus boosting tourism.

Economic, trade and investment links between the two sides recorded stable development in recent years, with trade hitting nearly 480 million USD in 2014, an annual increase of 35 percent. This is hoped to reach 500 million USD this year. Vietnam currently ranks eighth amongst foreign investors in Myanmar, with seven projects worth 513 million USD.

Vietnam established the Vietnam-Myanmar Friendship Association with the aim to strengthen exchanges between the two nations.

The two sides plan to schedule more high-level visits and meetings, while organising the 8th Vietnam-Myanmar Joint Committee in 2015 and working together to arrange celebrations for the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year.-VNA