Deputy PM meets Sri Lankan President, Qatari counterpart

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena that Vietnam wanted to further its traditional friendship and cooperation with Sri Lanka during a meeting on the sidelines of the second Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit, which commenced in Bangkok on October 10.

They agreed that the two countries should increase their exchanges of high-level visits and organise the fourth meeting of their inter-governmental committee at the foreign minister level and their third political consultation soon.

 

The two countries should seek ways to boost two-way trade revenues from the current average figure of US$200 million per year, with agriculture and fisheries considered for joint projects.

 

Deputy PM Dam suggested the two countries further mutual support at regional and international forums and cooperation in protecting the interests of developing countries.

 

He thanked Sri Lanka for backing Vietnam’s bids to run for seats in UN bodies and asked for the country’s support for Vietnam’s candidacy for the post of UNESCO Director-General for the 2017-2021 tenure.

 

The same day, Deputy PM Dam met with his Qatari counterpart, Ahmad Bin Abdullah Bin Zaid Al-Mahmoud, and the two reached a consensus on more exchanges of delegations, mutual support at international forums and the enhancement of bilateral trade.

 

Food, consumer goods, construction materials, oil and gas were among the goods proposed for bilateral transactions.

 

Deputy PM Dam said he expected Qatar to acknowledge Vietnam as a full market economy soon, as agreed at the second meeting of the Vietnam–Qatar Joint Committee.

 

(Source: NDO)