Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam treasures its relations with South Pacific countries, including the Solomon Islands, a nation with an important geostrategic position and abundant maritime resources, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said at his talks with Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Peter Shanel Agovaka, who is on an official visit to Vietnam from November 11–13.
Trung commended the Solomon Islands’ open foreign policy of “befriending all countries” and expressed gratitude for its support of Vietnam’s candidacy for the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026–2028 term, as well as its delegation’s participation in the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention).
The Vietnamese minister proposed enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, agriculture, fisheries, construction materials, and human resource development. He highlighted Vietnam’s commitment to sustainable fisheries and sought greater collaboration with the Solomon Islands, requesting that its government to facilitate the licensing of Vietnamese enterprises to engage in joint fishing operations in the Solomon waters. Vietnam, in turn, is ready to send experts to support the Solomon Islands in agriculture and fisheries and encourage businesses to invest in seafood processing plants, contributing to sustainable supply and value chains, he added.
Both ministers welcomed the continued positive development of the bilateral relations over nearly three decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1996, particularly in close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, including the United Nations.
Agovaka praised Vietnam’s rapid socio-economic development and its increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific region. He said the Solomon Islands is actively expanding relations with partners to achieve sustainable national development and hopes to learn from Vietnam’s experience.
The minister also expressed interest in strengthening trade ties, importing key Vietnamese products such as rice and construction materials, and welcomed Vietnamese businesses that have successfully operated in the Solomon Islands. He also expected that Vietnamese enterprises would continue to invest in the Solomon Islands, especially in infrastructure, mining, renewable energy, and battery production.
Both ministers agreed to deepen practical cooperation in high-potential sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, construction, tourism, and mining. They highlighted the importance of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding on the framework for bilateral cooperation between the two governments, which will guide future collaboration. They also committed to expediting agreements on visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders and other arrangements, including investment protection, promotion, and double taxation avoidance.
On global and regional issues, the ministers noted that the international situation has witnesses increasingly complex developments while multilateralism and multilateral institutions have faced challenges, and resource constraints have affected progress on global agendas such as sustainable development and climate change, which are important for both countries.
They reaffirmed shared support for multilateralism, international law, and the role of the UN and regional organisations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
Agovaka praised Vietnam’s proactive role in ASEAN and the region and welcomed the bloc’s expanding engagement with South Pacific countries, expressing the Solomon Islands’ interest in becoming an observer of ASEAN.
Both ministers also reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight, and respecting international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.
