The ceremony to mark the 93rd anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s National Day (September 23) in Hà Nội. VNA Photo

 HÀ NỘI - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hà Kim Ngọc has expressed his hope for stronger Việt Nam-Saudi Arabia cooperative ties in the fields of diplomacy, economy, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges, among others for mutual benefits as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and the world.

Attending a ceremony to mark the 93rd anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s National Day (September 23) in Hà Nội on September 22, the Vietnamese diplomat spoke highly of the significant development in the bilateral ties, with the highlights being the first visit to Việt Nam by Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in March 2022 and the first political consultation between the two foreign ministries in Saudi Arabia in February 2023.

He described economic cooperation as a bright spot in bilateral relations, elaborating that two-way trade reached US$2.7 billion in 2022, a year-on-year surge of 32.4 per cent, while the figure was estimated at $1.6 billion in the first seven months of this year, up 7.4 per cent from the same period in 2022.

Most recently, the Việt Nam – Saudi Arabia Business Forum was organised, drawing the attention of more than 750 enterprises and localities from both sides, he added.

Congratulating Saudi Arabia on its National Day, Ngọc said that with a kaleidoscope of cultural and religious heritages, Saudi Arabia had enjoyed rosy development over the past time.

"Saudi Arabia is not only the world’s leading oil power, but also a modern, proactive and creative nation which is promoting transformation and diversification of economic models with an array of ambitious super projects as the highlights," Ngọc said, expressing his belief that with the will and determination, Saudi Arabia would complete the projects soon, making contributions to realising its Saudi Vision 2030 so as to raise its status as the heart of the Arab and Islamic world and a global investment hub connecting Asia and Europe.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Mohammed Ismaeil A. Dahlw affirmed the Việt Nam – Saudi Arabia cooperation over the past 24 years had left imprints on the development processes in each nation, saying the bilateral ties had developed strongly through collaboration in various sectors as well as effective coordination at international forums.

The ambassador said he wished the Vietnamese Government and people would gain more achievements, and the bilateral relations would be elevated to a new height in the coming years. VNA/VNS