VN wants to deepen comprehensive cooperation with Middle East, Africa

VNGOP - The National Conference on Vietnam-Middle East-Africa Cooperation was held on April 25 in Hanoi. Presiding over the Conference, Deputy PM, Foreign Minister Phạm Gia Khiêm stressed that Vietnam and Middle East and African countries should convert their traditional friendship into economic, trade, cultural, scientific and technical cooperation for the sake of prosperity and development of each nation.

April 26, 2007 7:17 AM GMT+7

Photo: VGOP

Vietnam and the countries in Middle East and Africa have maintained a good friendship over the past 50 years. With her successes in poverty alleviation, Vietnam is selected by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the New Asian-African Partnership (NAAP) as a good example for Middle East and African developing countries to follow.

In economic cooperation, Vietnam and these countries have gained many significant achievements, especially in exchanging experts and laborers. At present, around 20,000 Vietnamese laborers and experts are working in Middle East and Africa.

Addressing the Conference, Deputy PM Phạm Gia Khiêm asked Vietnamese sectors and agencies at all echelons, from central to local, to increase their awareness of the importance of boosted comprehensive cooperation with Middle East and Africa in the time to come. Vietnam should take specific measures to realize the Plan on Vietnam-Middle East Relationship in 2007-2010 and the National Action Program on Vietnam-Africa Cooperation (stage II), concentrating on some major fields, such as trade exchanges, labor export, investment cooperation, and promoting investments from Middle East and Africa in Vietnam and vice versa.

The Deputy PM also suggested to set up the action plans with short and medium-term targets and roadmaps in order to deepen the relations with African and Middle East countries by 2010.

By Nguyên Hồ