A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment (MARD) is on a working visit to Malaysia and Indonesia fromMay 23-29 to speed up cooperation in agriculture in general andfisheries in particular.

During their two-day stayin Malaysia, the Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Minister and Headof the General Department of Fisheries Vu Van Tam, held talks withMalaysian Deputy Minister of Agriculture M. Johari Baharom during whichthe two sides discussed the contents of fisheries cooperation.

The two sides agreed to include these contents into a memorandum ofunderstanding (MoU) on cooperation in cultivation, animal husbandry andseafood, which is expected to be signed in the earliest time.

They also proposed cooperation contents in aquaculture, seafoodtrading, and management of vessels and fishing control systems as wellas discussed information exchange and coordination in cases the twocountries’ fishing boats and fishermen are seized.

The Vietnamese delegation visited fishing management and control systemsin Malaysia in order to serve the country’s building of a nationalfishing control project.

In Indonesia , on May26, the Vietnamese guests held talks with a delegation from the Ministryof Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MOMAAF) led by Director General forControl of Marine Resources and Fisheries Syahrin Abdurrahman.

The two sides discussed plans to implement a MoU signed between MARDand MOMAAF in October 2010, cooperation in solving cases of fishingboats and fishermen seized by the two countries in line with their laws,the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and in the spirit of closecooperation among ASEAN member countries and humanitarian treatment forfishermen.

The two sides agreed to soon set up ajoint technical committee (JTC) in the fisheries sector and carry outperiodic and rotating meetings between the two countries’ JTCs./.