Vietnam seeks stronger cooperation with Middle East nations

At the meeting (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu on August 19 held an online meeting with nine resident and non-resident ambassadors and chargé d'affaires of Middle East countries to Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Hieu underscored the importance of maintaining regular communications channels and coordination to foster ties between Vietnam and the regional countries.

He highlighted encouraging results of cooperation between Vietnam and the Middle East countries despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 7.3 billion USD in two-way trade in the first half of this year, up 33.5 percent year on year.

The two sides offered mutual support in the fight against the pandemic in various forms, including sharing experience in COVID-19 prevention and control, providing medical supplies and discussing the possibility of cooperation in vaccines and treatment.

The diplomats congratulated Vietnam on its political, diplomatic and socio-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 with Vietnam and suggested measures to boost bilateral ties in the near future, such as enhancing online meetings between ministries and agencies, sharing information 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 to connect 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 and people treasure cooperative ties with Middle East nations, as well as huge 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, and perfecting the legal basis to further improve the efficiency of bilateral cooperation./.