At the meeting (Photo: baoquocte.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieuon August 19 held an online meeting with nine resident and non-resident ambassadors andchargé d'affaires of Middle East countries to Vietnam.
Speaking at the event, Hieu underscored the importance of maintainingregular communications channels and coordination to foster ties between Vietnam and the regionalcountries.
He highlighted encouraging results of cooperation between Vietnam andthe Middle East countries despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 7.3billion USD in two-way trade in the first half of this year, up 33.5 percentyear on year.
The two sides offered mutual support in the fight against the pandemic invarious forms, including sharing experience in COVID-19 prevention and control,providing medical supplies and discussing the possibility of cooperation invaccines and treatment.
The diplomats congratulated Vietnam on its political, diplomatic andsocio-economic achievements, as well as its successful organisation of the 13th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly.
The diplomats affirmed that they have always attached importance to promoting multifaceted collaboration withVietnam and suggested measures to boost bilateral ties in the near future, suchas enhancing online meetings between ministries and agencies, sharinginformation and consultations regarding COVID-19 prevention and control,offering mutual support at multilateral forums and international organisations,upholding existing mechanisms and soon finalising negotiations to sign new deals and agreements, and organising activities toconnect businesses and promote trade and investment.
Concluding the meeting, Hieu applauded the practical and wholehearted opinions of the diplomats and affirmed that the Vietnamese Government andpeople treasure cooperative ties with Middle East nations, as well ashuge potential for bilateral cooperation, especially in politics-diplomacy, trade,investment, energy, science-technology, and labour.
He proposed both sides step up measures in four priority fields,including politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, COVID-19 prevention and control, andperfecting the legal basis to further improve the efficiency of bilateral cooperation./.
