Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh (r) receives Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Louise Mushikiwabo of the Republic of Rwanda on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam focused on strengthening ties with Rwanda, Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh said on Tuesday. 

He made the statement at a meeting in Hà Nội with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Louise Mushikiwabo of the Republic of Rwanda, who is the first senior Rwandan official to visit Việt Nam in the past 10 years. 

At the meeting, the two sides agreed on measures to deepen bilateral relations. 

Both officials voiced their support for increasing exchanges of delegations at different levels.

They said bilateral people-to-people diplomacy needed to be promoted to boost solidarity and mutual understanding. 

Among measures to push bilateral trade, the officials agreed to step up liaisons on policies and markets, facilitate enterprises from both sides, and encourage trade promotions via forums, delegation exchanges and exhibitions.  

They also exchanged ideas on how to increase co-operation in agriculture, oil and gas, and defence-security.  

Mushikiwabo said Rwanda was looking for Việt Nam’s assistance in the fields of agriculture, mining, and telecommunications, noting that the country welcomed Vietnamese firms to study its market and set up partnerships. 

The two officials agreed to soon sign a series of agreements on trade, visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders; and investment deals.

They also highlighted their support for a peaceful solution to conflicts, including the East Sea (South China Sea) issue, with respect to diplomatic and legal procedures based on international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Meeting with Guinea’s Foreign Minister Mamadi Toure on the same day, Minh touched upon specific measures to beef co-operation between the two countries in areas such as agriculture, telecommunications, education and health care. 

He talked about expanding bilateral collaboration in sectors in which the two countries held potential, such as transportation, mining and oil and gas.

For his part, Toure affirmed that Guinea treasured its ties with Việt Nam, saying he wished bilateral co-operation to be expanded via the Party and National Assembly and people-to-people exchanges. 

Political trust should serve as the foundation for economic links between Việt Nam and Guinea, he said. 

Host and guest consented to deepen the bilateral friendship, advance the two-way trade which is now standing at nearly US$160 million, and encourage Vietnamese businesses to invest in Guinea.

President’s meetings

Việt Nam attached importance to promoting the friendship and co-operation with traditional friends in Africa, including Rwanda and Guinea, President Trần Đại Quang told the ministers of the two countries on Tuesday.

On the basis of sound political relations, similar development and needs, Việt Nam and African countries had been successfully implementing many co-operation projects in agriculture, telecommunications, health and education, Quang said. 

These were important premises for the countries to expand co-operation across all fields, benefits to Vietnamese people and those in Africa, including Rwanda and Guinea. 

Quang also urged the sides to devise measures to boost trade ties and improve legal frameworks to facilitate stronger multi-faceted collaboration between Việt Nam and the two countries. 

With the success of Việt Nam’s agricultural projects in many African countries, Việt Nam was willing to share its experience with Rwanda and Guinea through bilateral or multilateral co-operation, he said. 

The Vietnamese leader hoped that the two countries would create favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors and businesses in the future. 

For their part, the African ministers highlighted the traditional friendship between Rwanda and Guinea and Việt Nam, saying that the three countries had experienced difficult historical periods and were now on the path of development. 

Agreeing with President Quang’s opinion on measures to foster relations between Rwanda and Guinea and Việt Nam, the ministers affirmed their countries were willing to bolster co-operation with Việt Nam in all fields. — VNS