Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) meets his Timor Leste counterpart Xanana Gusmao on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

JAKARTA — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his Timor Leste counterpart Xanana Gusmao on Tuesday agreed to increase the exchange of delegations to promote the traditional friendship and connectivity between the two countries.

During the meeting, held on the occasion of the two PMs' attendance in the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related summits in Jakarta, Indonesia, PM Chính congratulated Gusmao on his election as Prime Minister of Timor Leste for the 2023-2028 tenure, and expressed his confidence that under the leadership of Gusmao, Timor Leste would continue to reap great achievements in construction and development, gradually asserting its role and position in the region and the world.

He welcomed Timor Leste's participation in the 43rd ASEAN Summit and reaffirmed that Việt Nam and other member countries of the bloc would actively support the country in the process of becoming an official member of ASEAN.

The two leaders emphasised the need to effectively implement the signed agreements, and soon complete the negotiations to sign the bilateral Investment Protection Agreement and ratify the trade agreement between the two countries.

They also underlined the importance of boosting cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, tourism, culture, education and people-to-people exchange, while studying new areas of cooperation that suit development needs of Timor Leste and the potential and strengths of Việt Nam such as agro-forestry and fisheries, digital transformation and green transition.

PM Chính asked Timor Leste to support and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese companies to participate in and implement investment projects, and promptly resolve pending legal issues to encourage foreign investment in its territory.

Sharing Timor Leste's concern over the threat of food shortages due to the impact of declining global rice exports and climate change, he affirmed that Việt Nam would be ready to support and strengthen rice trade with Timor Leste, urging the two countries to begin negotiations towards the signing of a rice trade agreement between the two governments to create a long-term legal framework for bilateral cooperation.

For his part, Gusmao affirmed that Timor Leste always attached importance to promoting relations with Việt Nam. He agreed with PM Chính's proposals which aimed at promoting cooperation, especially in the fields of telecommunications, trade-investment and the rice sector.

Highlighting the important contributions of Telemor, a subsidiary of the Vietnamese group Viettel, to the development of Timor Leste's telecom industry, he pledged to resolve difficulties for foreign investors, including Viettel.

The two Prime Ministers affirmed that they would continue to support each other and coordinate effectively in regional and international multilateral forums

PM Chính invited his Timor Leste counterpart to visit Việt Nam and the latter accepted the invitation with pleasure. — VNA/VNS