Vietnam and Angola identify priority areas of cooperation at Luanda meeting
VOV.VN - Vietnam and Angola hammered out future cooperation orientations during the seventh meeting of their Inter-Government Committee held in capital Luanda on March 28 (local time).
The two sides agreed to strengthen traditional areas of cooperation, including politics, diplomacy, security, health, education, and agriculture, while considering the possibility of opening up a number of new cooperation directions in areas of defense, justice, telecommunications, broadcasting and local cooperation.
They agreed to resume sending Angolan students to study in Vietnam under the agreed scholarship programme; increase the number of Vietnamese education experts working in Angola; and continue to enhance cooperation in medical expertise assistance.
The two sides stressed the need to promote the import and export of their key products such as rice, machinery, agricultural equipment and supplies, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies, while creating favourable conditions for their businesses to boost economic cooperation.
They requested relevant ministries, agencies and businesses of the two countries to put forward initiatives and maximize the potential as well as opportunities for bilateral trade and investment cooperation.
Despite constant efforts made, the results of bilateral cooperation over the years are not commensurate with the longstanding friendship and potential of the two countries, according to Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son, who is head of the Vietnam – Angola Inter-Government Committee.
The two sides should cooperate closely and introduce appropriate solutions to make their cooperation more effective and substantive in the fields of trade - investment, finance - banking, industry, agriculture, oil and gas, security, national defense, health, education and higher education, and science and technology, he suggested.
Son proposed that relevant ministries and agencies of the two sides jointly examine in detail draft cooperation agreements in the fields of industry, public works, territory planning, trade and seaports, air transport, television broadcasting, and legal assistance in criminal matters, to be signed at an appropriate time in future.
Meanwhile, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation Maria do Rosário Bragança for her part said Angola wants to learn from Vietnam’s economic development models as the government is focusing on diversifying the economy and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).
She called on Vietnamese businesses to explore investment opportunities in Angola’s priority fields of industry, tourism, mining, health care, education, agriculture, sports, and housing.
The two ministers later signed the minutes of the meeting and witnessed the signing of a cooperation document between the two countries’ educational institutions.
This is the first time after 10 years the two countries have resumed the Inter-Government Meeting.
Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Angola remains modest, at less than US$100 million a year in the 2018-2022 period. Last year saw Vietnamese export turnover to Angola fell 3% compared to the previous year to US$25.5 million.
Angola currently has four investment projects in Vietnam with registered capital of US$118,000, ranking 49th out of 144 foreign investors in the country.
Vietnam also has four investment projects in Angola with capitalization of US$2.98 million, ranking 49th out of 80 countries and territories that receive Vietnamese investment abroad.
