Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang on September 22 paid a visit to Kuwait and co-chaired the fifth Vietnam-Kuwait political consultation. During her trip, she held talks with Kuwait’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Alahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Finance Minister Saad Al-Alati, and Sheikh Saud Salem Al-Sabah, CEO of the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA).

First Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Alahmad Al-Sabah warmly welcomed Nguyen Minh Hang’s visit, noting it came at a time when bilateral relations are entering a new stage nearly five decades after diplomatic ties were established.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang reaffirmed Vietnam’s priority for its ties with Kuwait and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Against a backdrop of complex global and regional developments, she laid stress on the need to further deepen cooperation to promote each country’s development goals, build resilient economies, and uphold multilateralism, international law, peace, and stability.

The Kuwaiti Deputy FM underlined that Kuwait, the first GCC country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1976 and the current GCC Chair in 2025, places great importance on strengthening ties. He said Kuwait is keen to broaden cooperation beyond energy and oil to cover areas such as investment, trade, and tourism. He pledged that as GCC Chair, Kuwait will support and accelerate the early launch of negotiations on a GCC-Vietnam free trade agreement.

At the fifth political consultation, Nguyen Minh Hang and Assistant Foreign Minister Sameeh Issa Gohar Hayat reviewed the progress of bilateral relations and discussed ways to further strengthen them. The two sides noted that political and diplomatic ties remain on a positive trajectory, while cooperation in trade, investment, and the economy has seen encouraging results. Kuwait is now Vietnam’s largest trading and investment partner among GCC members.

Hang congratulated Kuwait on achievements under its Vision 2035 plan, hailed its mediation role in promoting peaceful solutions to regional conflicts, and stressed Vietnam’s commitment to taking bilateral ties to a new level as the two countries are in the lead-up-to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026.

For his part, Assistant Foreign Minister Sameeh Issa Gohar Hayat reiterated Kuwait’s high regard for Vietnam, praising Nguyen Minh Hang’s visit and recalling his own impressions from a December 2024 trip to Vietnam where he witnessed its dynamic development firsthand.

He expressed admiration for Vietnam’s economic growth, bold reforms, and policy breakthroughs. He also pledged support to expand market access for Vietnamese agricultural products, back the early start of GCC–Vietnam FTA talks, provide ODA for social welfare projects, explore new investment opportunities in Vietnam, and continue offering Arabic-language scholarships for Vietnamese students while boosting cooperation in the Halal sector.

The two deputy ministers agreed to push for closer high-level exchanges, fast-track negotiations on key agreements in trade, investment, food security, tourism, and culture, and consider opening direct flights. They also agreed to hold cultural exchange activities in 2026 to mark 50 years of diplomacy, while enhancing coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, including the United Nations, and acting as a bridge between Vietnam-GCC and Kuwait–ASEAN cooperation.

The officials also acknowledged the joint efforts of both sides and Japan in relation to the Nghi Son Refinery, and reaffirmed their determination to work with stakeholders toward a comprehensive solution to outstanding issues at the facility.

At her working session with Kuwait’s Deputy Finance Minister Saad Al-Alati, who also serves as Chairman of the Kuwait Sub-Committee of the Vietnam-

Kuwait Intergovernmental Committee, Hang highlighted the ministry’s important role in bolstering bilateral cooperation. Both sides consented to hold the committee’s next session soon to review cooperation across all areas.

Hang also outlined financial investment opportunities in Vietnam, particularly at the planned international financial centers in Ho Chi Minh City and central Da Nang city, and encouraged Kuwaiti investors to explore Vietnam’s fast-growing, 100-million-strong market.

During talks with KIA CEO Sheikh Saud Salem Al-Sabah, the Vietnamese diplomat briefed him on Vietnam’s economic progress, investment climate, and strategic development goals. She invited KIA and Kuwaiti investors to strengthen their presence in Vietnam. Sheikh Saud showed strong interest in the Vietnamese market and voiced KIA’s intention to explore potential projects and opportunities through future visits.

As part of her visit, Nguyen Minh Hang and Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Alahmad Al-Sabah attended a ceremony marking Vietnam’s 80th National, organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Kuwait.

Vietnamese, Kuwaiti foreign ministries hold fourth political consultation

VOV.VN - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang and Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs of Kuwait Samee Essa Johar Hayat co-chaired the fourth political consultation between the two foreign ministries in Hanoi on December 13.