Ambassador of Vietnam to Qatar, H E Tran Duc Hung (centre); First Secretary, Cao Dinh Phan (right); and Second Secretary- Head of Political and Economic Section, Le Thi Thu Ha, during the press conference held at the Embassy in Doha, yesterday.
Doha: Qatar and Vietnam enjoy strong bilateral relations and the year 2023 will be exciting as both countries will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Ambassador of Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Qatar, H E Tran Duc Hung said, yesterday.
Addressing a press conference at the Vietnam Embassy in Doha, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the Ambassador pointed out that this year’s celebration of the anniversary will witness participation of many Vietnamese companies in various activities in Qatar. The Ambassador said, “In 2023, our first priority is to promote bilateral cooperation in economic, trade and investment areas. We plan to support Vietnamese enterprises to bring products to the people of Qatar by participating in the Qatar Agricultural Exhibition, International Food Festival in Qatar and holding a seminar in Doha to introduce opportunities for resort investment in Vietnam.”
“We also encourage Vietnamese businesses who are interested in the market of Qatar to engage in programmes such as Build Your House, Project Qatar 2023, Horticultural Doha Expo. Vietnam desires to cooperate with Qatar in the projects of infrastructure development, oil, renewable energy, green technology and digital transformation. Agriculture and infrastructure are the key areas that Vietnam hopes to receive investment from Qatar Investment Authority,” Hung added.
On February 8, 1993, Vietnam and Qatar established diplomatic relations. Over the past 30 years, Vietnam and Qatar have enjoyed excellent relations based on common faith and mutual interests.
Under the guidance of the leaders of both countries relations have been nurtured and developed in various areas. The contacts and exchange visits from various levels of leadership have cemented bilateral relations. Economic cooperation has been developed with the two-way trade volume reaching approximately $500m.
The envoy further said, “On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to the Amir of Qatar H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and all members of the Royal Family, the Government of Qatar for their support to the Vietnamese community in Qatar.”
Responding to a query if there will be any high-level visits in 2023, the Ambassador said, “We are looking forward to receiving the Amir of Qatar H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Vietnam.”
Qatar and Vietnam have signed agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, culture, science, technology, labour, investment, and education, and are continuing to complete the legal framework to promote comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Most recently, they signed a mutual visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders. Some pending Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and agreements to be signed include MoU between Qatar Ports Management Company ‘Mwani Qatar’ and Vinalines; agreement on Maritime Transport between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; MoU on cooperation in the legal field between the Ministry of Justice of the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Justice of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
