Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) had talks with Executive Vice President of Aramco Yasser M.Mufti on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương

RIYADH — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính received leaders of Aramco group and the Saudi Fund for Development in Riyadh capital of Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

The meetings took place as part of his trip to Saudi Arabia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and visit the country.

Talking to the Vietnamese PM, Executive Vice President of Aramco Yasser M.Mufti expressed his firm’s hope to have a chance to invest in Việt Nam, which is working to build a new petrochemical plant.

He proposed the Vietnamese Government create conditions for Aramco to expand investment in the country, firstly permitting the group’s technical team to come to survey the market.

PM Chính welcomed Aramco’s plan to invest in Việt Nam's oil and gas sector, especially major petrochemical projects, and cooperate in the trading of oil, gas, and petrochemical products such as crude oil, liquefied gas, plastics, and fertiliser.

He called on Aramco to provide conditions for the State-owned Việt Nam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) participate in supplying oil and gas services in Saudi Arabia, seek large projects to jointly invest in, and assist with training oil and gas manpower.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) and CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Sultan Al-Marshad had talks in Riyadh on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

In a separate meeting, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Sultan Al-Marshad informed Chính that the fund has implemented 13 projects in Việt Nam over the past 13 years. He proposed the Vietnamese Government continue to create more favourable conditions for the fund to operate effectively in the country and pledged more resources for projects in Việt Nam.

Chính appreciated the SFD’s preferential loans worth US$165 million for Việt Nam's ODA projects, helping improve infrastructure and the living standards of Vietnamese people in remote and disadvantaged areas.

To ensure effective joint works in the future, the PM said both sides need to enhance exchanges, coordination, and fulfillment of their commitments, contributing to further strengthening comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Saudi Arabia. — VNS