Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung made the statement while receiving Egyptian Investment Minister Mahmoud Mohey Eldin in Hanoi on January 25.

Mr Hung said that stronger bilateral cooperation will help Vietnam penetrate the large Middle East market and Egypt enter the dynamic economic region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

To this end, he proposed that the Vietnam-Egypt Joint Commission employ practical measures to increase all-round cooperation between the two countries.

Mahmoud Mohey Eldin congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in socio-economic development and poverty reduction, as well as its success in cushioning the impact from the global financial and economic recession.

He said Egyptian businesses who are accompanying him during the visit want to explore cooperation opportunities with their Vietnamese counterparts. He also expressed his hope that more Vietnamese businesses will invest in his country.