Hanoi (VNA) - Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan had meetings with Nepali President Ram Chandra Poudel and Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli as part of her official visit to Nepal on August 24–25.
At the meetings, Vice President Xuan stressed that the visit provided an opportunity for the two countries to review their relations and outline future cooperation. She reaffirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to its traditional friendship with Nepal, and expressed gratitude for Nepal’s consistent support for Vietnam during its past struggle for independence and reunification as well as in its current nation-building and development efforts.
The Vice President congratulated Nepal and its people, under the leadership of the President and Prime Minister, on major socio-economic achievements, and commended the country’s contributions to multilateral mechanisms, particularly in UN peacekeeping operations. She voiced confidence that Nepal will achieve its goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2030.
The Nepali hosts extended congratulations on the 80th National Day of Vietnam (September 2), highlighting the friendship that Nepali leaders and people hold for the country. They expressed admiration for President Ho Chi Minh’s vision and ideals, Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation, as well as the country’s transformation and development over nearly four decades of Doi moi (Reform).
They described Vietnam as a success model in socio-economic development and international integration, and expressed their desire to learn from the country’s socialist-oriented market economy model.
Both leaders agreed to set out major directions for bilateral ties in the coming period, aiming to further boost cooperation in politics, economy, trade, investment, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
They held that Vietnam and Nepal share common cultural and religious values, with large Buddhist communities and deep-rooted faith in Buddhism. Each year, Nepal welcomes many Vietnamese delegations for pilgrimages and spiritual tourism, particularly to the Buddhist holy site of Lumbini. They noted this as a solid foundation for expanding cooperation in culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, and suggested the airlines of both countries soon explore the possibility of establishing a direct air route between the two countries.
Vice President Xuan said both sides should actively review and implement existing cooperation mechanisms and frameworks, while expediting the signing of new documents and agreements to provide a foundation for collaboration in economy, trade, investment, culture, sports, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
She suggested the two sides strengthen political trust through regular delegation exchanges and contacts; step up trade, investment, and tourism promotion activities; and encourage businesses from both sides to invest and operate in areas of mutual strength.
The Vice President also suggested expanding cooperation into potential fields such as defence and security, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, energy transition, and green growth, to better address traditional and non-traditional security challenges.
The two sides consented to continue close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums, particularly the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, South-South cooperation mechanisms, and the Group of 77 (G77).
They reaffirmed their commitment to working together with the international community in upholding the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law, ensuring peace, security, stability, and respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all nations.
Both sides also agreed to back each other’s candidacies at multilateral forums and to enhance coordination in global efforts to address climate change and in participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
While in Nepal, Vice President Xuan met with the Vietnamese community there on August 24. This was the first meeting between a senior Vietnamese leader and the Vietnamese community in Nepal since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1975.
The same day, she attended a ceremony in Kathmandu celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Nepal. The event was co-organised by the Vietnam–Nepal Friendship Association and the Nepal Peace and Solidarity Council.
Rabindra Adhikari, Chairman of the council, affirmed that Nepal wishes to expand cooperation with Vietnam in various fields such as trade, tourism, agriculture, information technology, education, and cultural exchanges, while calling on Vietnamese investors to explore opportunities in Nepal./.
