Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister-ForeignMinister Pham Binh Minh and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin shared thewish to continue promoting the close political ties between Vietnam and Ukraineduring their talks in Hanoi on September 6.

The two sides agreed to increase the exchange of visits,particularly those at the high level, as well as work closely together atmultilateral forums.

Discussing specific measures to push forward economic,trade, education-training, labour, culture, sports and tourism ties, they notedwith pleasure that two-way trade has grown continuously since 2016, with a 12percent rise in 2016 to 264.2 million USD and a 19.1 percent increaseyear-on-year in the first seven months of 2017.

Host and guest agreed to collaborate with the two countries’agencies concerned to successfully hold the 14th meeting of theVietnam – Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic-Trade and Scientific-TechnologicalCooperation slated for this October in Kiev.

Deputy Prime Minister Minh asked the Ukrainian ForeignMinistry and related agencies to continue assisting Vietnamese nationals residingin the country.

The two sides discussed simplifying immigration proceduresfor the two countries’ citizens to increase bilateral exchanges.  

Concluding the talks, the two officials signed aconsultation plan for 2018-2019 between the two foreign ministries andwitnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between Vietnamese andUkrainian justice ministries and a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperationbetween the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the Diplomatic Academy ofUkraine.

The two sides also issued a communiqué on the outcomesof the Ukrainian FM’s visit to Vietnam from September 4-6.-VNA