Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the statement while receiving Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud in Hanoi on July 28.

PM Dung welcomed the Saudi Arabian Prince’s visit and congratulated the Prince on receiving the Friendship Order, a noble distinction of the Vietnamese State.

Vietnam is ready to welcome and support Saudi Arabian investors to promote investment activities in the country, especially in the fields of tourism, hotel, oil and gas, and labour, he said.

Mr Dung also suggested the two sides sign a strategy on oil and gas cooperation as soon as possible and increase coordination in exporting Vietnamese guest workers to Saudi Arabia.

For his part, the Saudi Arabian Prince spoke highly of Vietnam’s achievements in overcoming the impact of the world economic crisis, saying this is a success of the Vietnamese Government and people.

He said Saudi Arabia is now home to around 10,000 Vietnamese guest workers and the Saudi Arabian government is striving to raise the figure to hundreds of thousands in the future.

On the same day, the Saudi Arabian Prince met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem.