Vietnam and Sierra Leone inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in agriculture in Hanoi on July 27.

Signatories were Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu and Sierra Leone Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security Ali Mansaray.

Under the MoU, the two sides will boost cooperation in fisheries and rice production and Vietnam will send experts to Sierra Leone to conduct surveys and provide proposals for practical projects.

On July 25, Deputy Minister Thu and visiting Sierra Leone Deputy Minister Ali Mansaray held talks.

The Sierra Leone official said that his country considered Vietnam as a top partner in agricultural cooperation and would create favourable conditions for Vietnamese experts and skilled workers to the country.

According to Deputy Minister Thu, Vietnam sent agricultural experts to help develop rice research centres in Sierra Leone and will send more experts to the country in August to lay the groundwork for building a cooperative programme on rice and seafood production between the two countries.

While in Vietnam , the Sierra Leone delegation will visit an aquaculture establishment, the Van Dien Phosphate Plant and the Agriculture and Irrigation Electro Mechanics Corporation./.