Qatari Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani pays a courtesy call to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 15. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested Qatar step up investment cooperation with Vietnam in infrastructure development, oil, renewable energy, green technology and digital transformation while hosting visiting Qatari Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on August 15.
Chinh highly spoke of the progress the two countries have made in their multifaceted partnership and active mutual support at multilateral forums. Congratulating Qatar on the signing of the instrument of accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) of ASEAN, the PM said Vietnam backs a close, effective and comprehensive cooperation between ASEAN and Qatar.
To further boost Vietnam-Qatar ties, he said they should increase delegation exchanges and beef up people-to-people and cultural exchanges. He proposed the two countries facilitate broader access to each other’s markets and asked Qatar to help promote the Halal industry in Vietnam.
He also urged Qatar to provide ODA funding for infrastructure and agricultural projects in Vietnam, adding the two sides should coordinate in effectively enforcing a bilateral agreement on labour cooperation.
Vietnam welcomes Qatar’s capital ventures and enterprises to explore investment opportunities in the country and wants to receive more tourist arrivals from Qatar, given that Vietnam has fully reopened its borders with no travel restrictions for foreign visitors in place, Chinh said.
He expected the two sides to push for a number of agreements for enhanced cooperation in maritime, customs, justice, security, culture and tourism.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, for his part, emphasised that Qatar attaches importance to developing bilateral relations with Vietnam as it sees the country as a gateway to ASEAN markets. Qatar’s public investment fund has invested hundreds of millions of USD into the Vietnamese market, he said.
Highlighting Vietnam as an attractive destination for investors and tourists from Qatar, he said there is plenty of room for the two nations to ramp up ties in trade, investment, energy and tourism.
He agreed with PM Chinh’s suggestions, saying he will closely work with the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Qatar’s ministries and enterprises to realise them.
Priority will be given to strengthening collaboration between the Qatar public investment fund and the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) and accelerating talks on a bilateral free trade deal and an agreement on visa waivers for ordinary passport holders to deepen ties, he said./.
