Vietnam, Qatar hold political consultation in Doha
VOV.VN - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu visited Qatar on July 4-5 where he co-hosted the second political consultation between Vietnam and Qatar with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi.
During the visit, Hieu paid a courtesy visit to Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and met with leaders of several ministries of the host country.
The two sides expressed their delight at the positive developments in the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Qatar in recent times, especially in politics-diplomacy, economy, and energy.
They informed each other about socio-economic development of their respective countries, and welcomed the organization of the second political consultation between the two foreign ministries after a hiatus due to COVID- 19.
They held that the two countries had regularly exchanged delegations at all levels before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with bilateral trade turnover fetching US$400 million last year. Leading Qatari corporations such as Qatar Airways and Qatar National Bank (QNB) are operating effectively in Vietnam.
However, they said the gains are still not commensurate with the potential and expectations of the two countries’ leaders and people. They noted that the two economies are complementary, and therefore there is still plenty of room to promote cooperation in the coming time.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani reiterated Qatar’s policy of strengthening friendship and cooperation with Vietnam. He spoke highly of Vietnam’s recent development achievements, and expressed his wish to soon visit the Southeast Asian nation to beef up bilateral economic cooperation.
The two sides discussed measures to further improve the efficiency of cooperation in the coming time, including facilitating market access for each other’s strong commodities, increasing commercial flights, sharing information on investment opportunities and projects of mutual interest, as well as stepping up cooperation in the fields of energy security and food security.
They agreed to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, and soon organize the third Intergovernmental Committee to review and promote cooperation between the two countries. They vowed to continue to coordinate and support each other at international forums.
The two sides discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern.