Need to boost UAE, Vietnam bilateral coop

Hanoi / WAM

HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, stressed that the UAE and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are linked by distinct and friendly historical ties, based on a spirit of understanding and mutual respect and mutual desire to develop these relations and boost them for the benefit of the two peoples.
In his speech at the conclusion of the 3rd session of the UAE-Vietnam Higher Joint Committee for Cooperation in the capital, Hanoi, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah said that the meeting reflected the aspirations and the directives of the senior leadership in both countries. He expressed his thanks and appreciation to Tran Tuan Anh, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade, who chaired the Vietnamese side during the meeting, praising Vietnam for hosting the third session of the Joint Committee.
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah stressed that the meeting is an opportunity for the development of bilateral relations and to provide practical suggestions and solutions to overcome the obstacles that hinder the development of these relations.
Sheikh Abdullah expressed his hopes to further boost cooperation with Vietnam in various fields, saying, “I trust that Tran Tuan Anh will make good efforts to raise the level of the Emirati-Vietnamese relations to reflect the aspirations of the leadership of the two countries.”
He pointed out that the mutual visits between senior officials of both countries have seen remarkable growth since His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the Republic of Vietnam in 2007, as well as his own visit to Vietnam in October, 2010.
The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation commended the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s visit to the UAE in 2009, which resulted in the signing of 5 Memoranda of Understanding between the two countries, in addition to the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, in December 2014, who has assumed the post of Prime Minister in the meantime.
Sheikh Abdullah added that Vietnam is an important partner of the UAE, noting that non-oil trade volume has increased by 11 percent, including free zones.
Sheikh Abdullah also highlighted the importance of the private sector’s role in the development of bilateral relations, saying, “There are investments for our national companies Mubadala, DP World, Emaar and Nakheel. These investments contribute to economic cooperation and increasing the volume of trade exchange between the two countries.”
He explained that the number of flights by UAE national carriers has reached 14 per week between the UAE and Vietnam, along with the launch of seven new weekly flights by Emirates Airline from Dubai to Hanoi in August this year, reflecting the UAE’s interest in increasing cooperation in the air transport sector, stressing the importance of applying the open skies policy between the two countries without any restrictions to promote trade relations between the two sides.
His Highness commended the agreements and Memoranda of Understanding signed between the UAE and Vietnam, which confirms the keenness and seriousness of the two sides in boosting trade and investment cooperation.
Concluding his speech, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed highlighted the need for continuing the work of the Joint Committee and follow up on implementation of its recommendations, expressing hope to hold the next meeting of the Joint Committee in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE Foreign Minister and the Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade ceremonially signed the minutes of the meeting of the third session of the Joint Commission between the two countries.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Minister of Finance, Nguyen Cong Nghiep, then signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in financial and technical fields between the two countries’ finance ministries.
Sheikh Abdullah also attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of higher education and scientific research between the Ministry of Education in the UAE and the Ministry of Education and Training in the Republic of Vietnam, and a further MoU for cooperation between the Federation of United Arab Emirates Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The meeting was attended by Khalid Ghanem Al Ghaith, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Economic Affairs, Khaled Ibrahim Abdul Aziz Shuhail, UAE Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ahmed Elham Al Dhaheri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Consular Affairs at the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Director of the East Asia and Pacific Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.­