Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn holds talks with Saudi Arabian counterpart

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn and Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud had talks in Hà Nội on Thursday. — VNA/VnExpress News Photo Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn held talks with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud in Hà Nội on Thursday as part of the latter’s visit to Việt Nam.

The two ministers agreed both sides should coordinate on measures to enhance bilateral cooperation outlined by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính at his reception for the Saudi Arabian minister earlier in the day.  

They shared the view that bilateral cooperation had developed well across all fields. The good political ties are reflected in phone calls and direct meetings between leaders of the two foreign ministries and mutual coordination and support at international organisations.

Meanwhile, bilateral trade reached almost US$2 billion in 2021, up 26.5 per cent on 2020.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most important economic partners of Việt Nam in the Middle East.  

Foreign minister Sơn asked the Saudi Arabian side to send a technical delegation to Việt Nam to work towards lifting the suspension of the import of Vietnamese seafood, adding that he hoped significant supermarket chains of Saudi Arabia would buy more Vietnamese agricultural produce.

He also called on Saudi Arabian investment funds and corporations to look for investment opportunities in fields prioritised by Việt Nam, such as green growth and high technology.

The Vietnamese diplomat also repeated the request for the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry’s collaboration with relevant agencies to ensure Vietnamese labourers’ safety and interests.  

Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud affirmed that Saudi Arabia considered Việt Nam one of the essential partners in its Look-East policy and appreciated its success as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, which showed the Southeast Asian country’s increasing role in the international arena.

He said his country wanted to promote partnership with Việt Nam in commerce, investment, and tourism.

The two sides agreed to continue maintaining and increasing the exchange of delegations at all levels, coordinating closely and supporting each other at international organisations, particularly the UN.

They affirmed support of multilateralism and the settlement of disagreement based on dialogue and international law.

The two ministers also agreed to implement cooperation mechanisms such as inter-governmental committee and political consultation between the two foreign ministries, accelerate negotiations to reach an investment agreement, and promote people-to-people exchange.

The Saudi Arabian FM invited his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Saudi Arabia at a suitable time, and FM Sơn accepted the invitation with pleasure. — VnExpress News