Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) had talks with President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh in Hà Nội on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Thursday met with President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh who is paying a State visit to Việt Nam from November 1-5 at the invitation of President Võ Văn Thưởng.

At the meeting, PM Chính hailed the significance of the visit of the Mongolian President to Việt Nam when the two countries are to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 2024, stressing that it will take the bilateral traditional friendship to a new, practical and effective stage of development.

For his part, President Khurelsukh emphasised that the Mongolian Government always values the traditional friendship between Mongolia and Việt Nam, considering Việt Nam its most important cooperation partner in Southeast Asia.

Host and guest expressed their pleasure about the substantial developments in cooperative relations between the two countries in recent years, especially in the fields of politics, diplomacy, economy, defence, security, and agriculture. 

Discussing specific measures to enhance cooperation across the fields, PM Chính suggested further promoting the role of the Việt Nam-Mongolia Intergovernmental Committee mechanism; and result-oriented cooperation between businesses, localities, and people of the two countries.

He said the two countries should continue to boost two-way trade by opening the market to each other's goods. He asked Mongolia to create favourable conditions for Việt Nam's key agricultural and aquatic products to enter the Mongolian market, towards the goal of doubling bilateral trade turnover to US$200 million in the coming years.

The PM also urged the two sides to increase trade and investment promotion activities, expand cooperation in the field of strategic minerals and organise business connection activities. 

Chính welcomed the opening of direct flights between the two countries and the signing of an agreement on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders between the two countries, which create favourable conditions to promote their tourism and trade cooperation and increase people-to-people exchanges.

Agreeing with Chính, President Khurelsukh affirmed that strengthening comprehensive and extensive cooperation with Việt Nam is a top priority in Mongolia's foreign policy in the region.

He said Mongolia wishes to further strengthen and expand cooperation with Việt Nam in the fields of politics, defence, security, economy - trade, education, science and technology, transportation, logistics, culture, sports, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as at multilateral forums and mechanisms.

Mongolia hopes the two countries will establish a new relationship framework commensurate with the good relationship between the two countries on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations in 2024, he said.

In the context of the rapid, complex and unpredictable developments in the world and the region, the two sides agreed to continue to cooperate closely and support each other at international and regional forums of mutual interest. They shared a common perspective on ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea); maintaining a peaceful, stable environment and legal order; and resolving maritime disputes by peaceful means in compliance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). — VNS