The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) and Iran’s Centre for International Education and Research signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on scientific research and information exchange at a workshop on Iran’s foreign policy in Hanoi on November 12.

Iranian delegates said the country’s foreign policy aimed to boost cooperation and increase links with other countries in the region for mutual benefit. They suggested Vietnam and Iran intensify information sharing and establish mutual trust in order to develop suitable cooperative programmes in prosperous fields, such as investment, trade, energy, agriculture, health and advanced technology.

According to Ngo Xuan Binh, head of the Institute for Indian and Southwest Asian Studies, the two countries’ relations face a number of challenges due to a lack of information about the respective cooperation needs and business practices. At present, more than half of the Vietnamese products exported to Iran reach the country through intermediary channels.

Actively boosting collaboration will help the two countries take advantage of their respective strengths and reduce risks, thus contributing to sustainable development goals.-VNA