The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) hosted a get-together in Hanoi on June 2 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Myanmar (May 28).

VUFO’s Vice President Nguyen Van Kien, the Myanmar Ambassador to Vietnam Khin Maung Soe and representatives from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs attended the event.

When addressing the function, Kien and Soe highlighted the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Myanmar , noting that both nations had supported each other during their past struggles for national liberation.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1975, their bilateral relationship has constantly strengthened and developed in many fields. Vietnamese and Myanmar leaders have regularly exchanged visits and reached common ground when working with each other.

Thanks to this joint effort, trade relations have been encouraging. The value of two-way trade was 108.2 million USD in 2008 and reached 99 million USD last year despite the adverse impacts of the global financial crisis.

In recent years, a number of major Vietnamese businesses, including the military-run telecoms company Viettel, the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) have carried out substantial projects in Myanmar and have begun to reap the rewards.

Both countries have discussed a wide range of measures to step up cooperation in agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, transport, car assembly, tourism, construction and aviation.

Vietnam and Myanmar have also worked closely together in regional multilateral organisations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) and on the
Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya- Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy.

The friendship between Vietnam and Myanmar has grown positively and the Union Solidarity and Development Association of Myanmar has increased exchanges and cooperation with their Vietnamese partners, including the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the VUFO.

Both Kien and Soe said that they believed that Vietnam and Myanmar would continue to make many new achievements which will be mutually beneficial./.