Vietnam, Bahrain hold political consultation, expand cooperation

The political consultation was co-chaired by Deputy Minister Pham Quang Hieu and Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, undersecretary for international affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain.

They agreed that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Bahrain should closely coordinate and implement measures to improve the efficiency of their cooperation mechanisms, including increasing delegation exchanges at all levels, promoting people-to-people exchanges, and supporting each other at international and regional forums and organizations.

The two sides consented to encourage their businesses to strengthen connections, participate in trade and investment promotion activities to seek business opportunities, increase cooperation between the ASEAN - Bahrain Business Council and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and facilitate the import and export of key products into each other’s markets.

They also stressed the need to expand cooperation to other potential fields such as oil and gas, energy, tourism, logistics, the Halal industry, while at the same time negotiating and signing agreements to facilitate legal cooperation.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

While staying Bahrain, Deputy Minister Pham Quang Hieu also met with Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Crown Prince Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa who shared Bahrain’s economic cooperation strategy with ASEAN countries, including Vietnam.

The host affirmed that Bahrain will actively support ministries, agencies and businesses of the two sides to connect and explore cooperation opportunities.

Hieu for his part suggested that the Bahraini Ministry of Industry and Commerce continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods to make inroads into Bahrain, and at the same time support Vietnamese enterprises to develop in Bahrain.

Meeting with Vice Chairwoman of the ASEAN - Bahrain Council Feryal Abdullah Nass, Hieu highly appreciated the council’s positive role in promoting economic relations between Bahrain and ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, and suggested that the council continue to support business connection of the two sides. He invited Council members to visit Vietnam to meet explore cooperation and investment opportunities.

Feryal Abdullah Nass assured that the leadership of the council are very interested in the Vietnamese market, and affirmed that the council will actively coordinate with the Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia and concurrently Bahrain to carry out business promotion activities in the near future.

Deputy Minister Pham Quang Hieu also met with representatives of Bahraini businesses and some Vietnamese businessmen living and working in Bahrain.