The agreement was reached during a meeting between visiting Deputy Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Akhtar Tufail and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem and talks between the Pakistani diplomat and his Vietnamese counterpart Le Cong Phung in Hanoi on January 31.

The two sides informed each other about socio-economic development in each country and compared notes on bilateral cooperation.

Mr Tufail congratulated Vietnam on its achievements during the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, the successful organisation of the 14^th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and its recent entry into the World Trade Organisation.

Both host and guest expressed pleasure at the fine development of the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, particularly after former State President Tran Duc Luong’s visit to Pakistan in March 2004.  They shared the view that bilateral economic and commercial cooperation has developed strongly in recent years, with two-way trade value reaching US$100 million in 2006, a year-on-year increase of 36 percent.

The two sides agreed to launch various activities in 2007 to mark 35 years of their diplomatic ties, including the second session of the Vietnam-Pakistan Committee for Joint Cooperation and the first meeting of political consultations between the two Foreign Ministries.

They signed an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders.

Exchanging views on regional and international issues, both host and guest spoke highly of positive developments in the Asia-Pacific region in recent times and agreed to coordinate more closely at bilateral and multilateral forums for the sake of peace, security, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

The Vietnamese side thanked Pakistan for its support to Vietnam’s WTO membership and its bid to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 term.