A forum focusing on economic cooperation between Vietnam and the
Middle East – North Africa will take place in Hanoi on November
4-5, the Foreign Ministry announced at a press conference on October 30.
Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Phuong Nga told the media that
this is the first time a large-scale event on the ties between
Vietnam and the region has been held in Vietnam.
She
added that the forum is one of the most important external economic
events in Vietnam this year, manifesting the Vietnamese
Government’s attention to economic ties with the Middle East and North
African countries.
Despite their geographical
distance, Vietnam and countries in the Middle East and North
Africa have long established friendly relations that have seen
remarkable progresses in recent years, Nga noted.
Two-way
trade between Vietnam and the region hit 7.4 billion USD last year,
up by nearly nine fold from 10 years ago. Bilateral trade between
Vietnam and some regional countries has already surpassed 1 billion
USD each year.
The event aims to brief guest businesses
on the country’s economic policies and investment opportunities while
giving policy makers a chance to meet and exchange views on how to boost
ties and cooperation.
Participating businesspeople are also expected to extend their contact bases and reach cooperation deals.-VNA