Hegazy, who has made his first official visit to Vietnam, said this at an interview granted to a VOV reporter about the development of the Egypt-Vietnam relationship.

An Egyptian transitional government has been establish and is facing challenges, so Hegazy’s visit indicates the country’s determination and commitment to foster bilateral cooperation with Vietnam.

During his visit, the Deputy Minister worked with leaders of Vietnamese ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to discuss future measures to promote the relationship.

In a working session with MARD Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu, both sides exchanged information and experiences in rice production and discussed cooperation in aquaculture.

Egypt is Vietnam’s major aquatic product importer with a total revenue of US$7.5 million, and hopes to boost cooperation in rice and aquatic production, he said.

The Deputy Minister also expressed his wish to enhance cooperation with Vietnam in other fields such as politics, economics, investment, tourism, communications, and information technology.

Regarding the potential for developing relations between the two countries in the future, he emphasized that Egypt wants to focus on agriculture and aquaculture, which are some of Vietnam’s strengths, as well as textiles and garments, and pharmaceuticals.

Exchanging of diplomatic delegations will also help develop the Egypt-Vietnam relationship, said the Deputy Minister.

In the current difficult times, Egypt is focusing most of its efforts on developing its economy and strengthening international cooperation and integration, he said, adding that his visit to Vietnam is part of this objective.

Hegazy said that after its political crisis, Egypt is sparing no effort to create a stable democracy and an open economic environment to attract foreign investors, including those from Vietnam.