Reporter: Could you please tell us about the specific results of the visit?

Mr Hung: This was the first visit by a Vietnamese Head of State to Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, and the third to Algeria, since Vietnam’s establishment of its diplomatic ties with those countries.

The visit made a deep impression on delegation members and President Triet. The Vietnamese delegation was warmly received in an atmosphere of friendship and sincerity and the top leaders of all three countries held talks with our President.

In particular, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika spent many hours talking to Mr Triet as a close colleague and brother. Such a warm welcome showed that the leaders of all three countries wish to lift their relations with Vietnam to a higher level. Through the visit, relations between Vietnam and these countries have been enhanced significantly, opening up bright prospects for future cooperation in economics, trade and investment.

We can promote cooperation in the fields of agriculture, investment, labour and tourism with Saudi Arabia, and in oil and gas, trade, tourism with Tunisia and Algeria.

On this trip, 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed, creating an important legal framework for mutually-beneficial cooperation.

In a nutshell, our State President’s visit was a great success.

Reporter: What should we do to implement all the agreements reached during the trip?

Mr Hung: In order to promote relations with the three countries by implementing the signed agreements, we need to focus on the following steps:

First, continuing to promote the exchange of high-level visits and to compare notes on issues of common concern at regional and international forums.

Second, properly implementing the signed agreements on bilateral cooperation in oil and gas, agriculture, and tourism, and moving towards long-term oil and gas cooperation between the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group and the Saudi Aramco Oil and Gas Group, and expanding oil and gas exploitation in Tunisia and Algeria.

Third, striving to treble trade turnover in the next few years by helping Vietnam penetrate markets in Africa, the Middle East, and the EU and act as a bridge for the three countries to enter the Southeast Asian market.

In addition, we should discuss specific measures to enhance agricultural cooperation with Saudi Arabia, as we have capital and high-technology in this field.

We can cooperate with Algeria in infrastructure and housing development while Algeria will allocate US$200 billion to this area in the next five years and is keen to work closely with Vietnamese construction companies.

However, there is a lot to be done to bring the ties of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and these three countries to a higher level as envisioned by their leaders.

Reporter: Thank you so much.