The current fine political ties is a favourable basis for Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to boost their cooperation, the Vietnamese head of state affirmed.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet also affirmed the country’s wish to further its cooperation with the Persian Gulf country at his meeting with UAE Minister of Economy Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri in Hanoi on Nov. 24.

President Triet said he was happy to see the two countries’ cooperation growing in various fields while giving high evaluation to the UAE’s role in the Persian Gulf and the world.

He called on the UAE businesspeople to increase investments in Vietnam and cited the country’s abundant human resources and its unceasing efforts to better the investment environment as advantages.

Referring to the UAE’s strength in the construction of infrastructure, seaports, and airports, and energy, and Vietnam ’s advantage in agriculture, President Triet proposed the two countries to increase the exchange of visits at all levels to seek opportunities for bilateral cooperation and investment.

For his part, Minister Al Mansouri said the UAE desires to establish a strategic cooperative ties with Vietnam as it sees a vision for long-term cooperation with the Southeast Asian country.

He said the UAE wanted to boost its agricultural cooperation with Vietnam apart from industry, infrastructure construction, services, renewable energy, seaports, airports and human resources development, which it has pumped more investment into.

The minister stated that the UAE is willing to offer scholarships to Vietnamese students to study the fields which are its strength.

The UAE minister has been in Hanoi since Nov. 23 for the Vietnam-UAE Inter-governmental Cooperation Committee’s first meeting./.