Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba arrived in Hanoi on November18, starting his three-day State visit to Vietnam at the invitation ofPresident Truong Tan Sang.

He is accompanied by Foreign MinisterNetumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of Home Affairs and ImmigrationPendukeni Iivula Ithana, Minister of Agriculture, Water and ForestryJohn Mutorwa, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Bernard Esau,and Minister of Trade and Industry Calle Schlettwein.

The visit is expected to foster cooperation between Vietnam and theAfrican country, especially in trade, investment, agro-forestry,seafood, education and aviation.

During the visit,the two sides will exchange views on several regional and internationalissues of common concern as well as sign a number of cooperativedocuments.

Vietnam and Namibia set up theirdiplomatic ties in 1990, based on the sound traditional relationshipfirst started in the 1970s between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)and the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) – the currentruling party in Namibia .

Two-way trade was recorded at 1.3 million USD last year.

Vietnam mainly imports steel, animal and vegetable oil from Namibiawhile exporting garments, coffee, timber products to the market.

At present, the two countries are implementing a tri-party seafoodcooperation project funded by the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation(FAO).-VNA