Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu (Photo: VNA) While stay in Bahrain from February 11-12, Deputy FM Hieu had meetings with Hamad BinSalman Al-Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade atthe Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Vice Chairwoman of theASEAN-Bahrain Council Feryal Abdullah Nass.
At the meetings, thetwo sides shared delight at the first political consultation betweenthe two foreign ministries since they signed a memorandum of understanding in2007, as well as the development in bilateral cooperation, especially inpolitics-diplomacy. However, they agreedthat economic collaboration between the two countries has yet to match their potentialand aspirations.
Deputy FM Hieu and Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Bahrain Foreign Ministry Abdulla binAhmed Al Khalifa agreed that the two Foreign Ministries should work closelytogether in implementing measures to enhance the efficiency of bilateralpartnership, including increasing the exchange of delegations at all levels,especially high level, and promoting people-to-people exchange.
At the same time, thetwo sides will coordinate with and support each other at international andregional forums and organisations, while encouraging businesses of both sidesto increase their connectivity and engage in trade and investment promotionactivities to explore business opportunities, and enhancing cooperation amongbusiness associations of the two sides, including the ASEAN-Bahrain Council andthe Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), creating favourableconditions for the import and export of strong products of each country to eachother’s market.
The two countriesshould expand partnership to potential areas such as oil and gas, energy,tourism, logistics and Halal industry, and negotiate for agreements thatfacilitate legal cooperation, they said.
On the occasion, thetwo sides also discussed a number of regional and international issues ofshared concern.
Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Domesticand Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, highlightedBahrain’s economic cooperation strategy towards ASEANcountries, including Vietnam. He said that the two countries share manysimilarities in boosting major development areas, and pledged toactivelyassist ministries, sectors and enterprises of the two sides to partnerwitheach other.
Hieu suggested that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce continueto create favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods to enter Bahrain, andassist Vietnamese firms to expand operations in the country. He also gaveproposals on specific cooperation among ministries, sectors and economicagencies of the two sides.
At the meeting with ViceChairwoman of the ASEAN-Bahrain Council Feryal Abdullah Nass, Hieu lauded thecouncil’s active role in promoting the economic ties between Bahrain and ASEANcountries. He asked for the council’s support in connecting businesses of bothsides, and invited members of the council to visit Vietnam to seek cooperationand investment chances.
Feryal Abdullah Nasssaid that leaders of the council are interested in Vietnam, and committed tocoordinating with the Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to conducttrade promotion activities in the time to come.
Hieu took thisoccasion to meet representatives of a number of businesses of the host countryand some Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the country./.
VNA
