Hanoi (VNA) - Representatives from the Vietnamese Ministryof Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the US state of West Virginia signed a memorandumof understanding (MoU) on February 25 to accelerate cooperation in economy, trade,and energy.
The two sides aim to form a comprehensive cooperationframework to facilitate bilateral trade and investment ties in industry and energy,while increasing the exchange of information on business opportunities and supportingcooperation projects and the operations of businesses of both sides.
Addressing the signing ceremony, Minister ofIndustry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh highlighted the special Vietnam-US partnershipwhile lauding the role and effort of Congresswoman Carol Miller and Governor JimJustice of West Virginia in promoting the US’s economic and trade ties with Vietnamin the US Congress and Government.
This is a suitable time for the two sides to boostthe partnership intensively, to speed up economic recovery and cope with the COVID-19 pandemic,Anh said, stressing that the US is an important and long-term partner of Vietnamin the field of energy. He described it as an important foundation for the strengtheningof cooperation in specific areas in the long term.
According to Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc,Vietnam-US relations have seen strong progress in all fields since the comprehensivepartnership was set up in 2013.
For her part, Miller expressed her hope offurther boosting bilateral cooperation in industry and trade, especially energy.
Vietnam and the US have seen continuous growth in bilateraltrade and investment relations over the years. Two-way trade exceeded 90 billionUSD for the first time last year and the figure is expected to reach 100 billionUSD this year.
The two nations have designed an action plan featuring arange of specific solutions, towards a harmonious and sustainable trade relationship./.