Top Vietnamese, Kazakhstani legislators hold talks

At the talks with Chairman of the Mazhilis (lower house) of the Kazakhstani Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin in Astana on October 17, Ngan said her ongoing visit aims to enhance and deepen the friendship and traditional cooperation between the two countries in general and the two parliaments in particular. 

She said the bilateral relationship is thriving in various areas, ranging from politics to economy, trade, culture, tourism and security, with two-way trade now reaching US$300 million per year. 

The top legislator affirmed that the Vietnamese Government and relevant agencies always support and create favourable conditions for foreign businesses, including those from Kazakhstan, expressing her wish that Kazakhstan will assist Vietnamese firms in seeking investment opportunities in the country. 

The two leaders held that the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (VN-EAEU FTA), which came into one year ago, has generated many opportunities for Vietnamese and Kazakhstani businesses. Therefore, they suggested the two sides make the most of tax incentives offered by the pact to boost exports. 

Nigmatulin said Kazakhstan hopes to further beef up partnerships with Vietnam in the fields of agriculture, transport and tourism. 

Ngan urged the two sides to evaluate the one-year implementation of the VN-EAEU FTA to withdraw lessons and set forth measures in order to continue implementing the deal effectively. 

They said that Vietnam should increase its export of rice, rubber, coffee, seafood, computers, phones, machines and equipment to Kazakhstan while importing metal, steel and iron, ore, minerals and other products from the country. 

The two leaders agreed to maintain the Vietnam-Kazakhstan Inter-governmental Committee on Economic-Commercial and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and soon organise the eighth meeting of the committee. 

In addition to enhancing mutual support at international organisations, especially the UN, Vietnam and Kazakhstan need to strengthen collaboration in all channels, between the parties, states, localities, business and people-to-people exchange. 

In the realm of security, Ngan suggested that the two nations should intensify cooperation and focus on exchanging information and combating terrorism, transnational and high-tech crimes, and illegal immigration. She underlined the need for the two sides to soon reach consensus on the contents of an agreement on the transfer of convicted persons so that it could be signed in the coming time. 

Nigmatulin said Kazakhstan want to exchange legislative experience with Vietnam and suggested the two sides expand cooperation between specialised committees of the two parliaments.
 
While consenting to the host’s proposal, Ngan said legislative ties are an important channel for cooperation between Vietnam and Kazakhstan, saying the Vietnamese NA wants to enhance its cooperation with the Kazakhstani Parliament at regional and international forums. 

The top legislators also agreed to continue the exchange of high-ranking delegations as well as between parliamentary committees and agencies, while joining hands to supervise the implementation of cooperation agreements signed between the two governments.