Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) had talks with Israeli Minister of Labour Rabbi Yoav Ben Tzur in Hà Nội on May 21. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Israel wishes to welcome more skilled workers from Việt Nam and will create favourable conditions to make that happen, said visiting Israeli Minister of Labour Rabbi Yoav Ben Tzur during his meeting with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

PM Chính stated that Việt Nam values its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Israel, a key partner in the Middle East. He proposed that both sides continue to promote mutual visits at all levels.

The Government leader highlighted science, technology, and labour as areas where the two countries can complement each other. He suggested Israel support Việt Nam in science-technology, innovation, digital transformation, and startups, while Việt Nam could provide Israel with quality human resources.

To that end, PM Chính called for the completion and signing of a bilateral labour agreement by June this year at the latest, along with concrete implementation plans. He also stressed the need for collaboration in skill, language, culture, and legal training for workers as well as in implementing joint programmes in labour and employment, including in emerging fields such as software design.

The leader tasked the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs with weekly reporting on the progress of the labour agreement negotiations. He also suggested both sides explore cooperation documents in education-training, science-technology, innovation, digital transformation, startups, and high-tech agriculture.

For his part, the Israeli minister noted that his visit aims to further strengthen the existing partnership between the two nations and between his ministry and Việt Nam's Ministry of Home Affairs, especially in labour. Israel is ready to collaborate in all sectors, including high-tech, software, and energy.

Israel is currently facing a shortage of workers, particularly in the construction sector, and highly values the quality and suitability of Vietnamese labour, the official said. He added that Israel is among the countries with the best protection of foreign workers’ rights and interest, making it an increasingly attractive destination for the group.

He agreed with the PM on the need to expedite labour agreement negotiations and signing, and suggested that in the meantime, businesses from both sides should directly cooperate to bring Vietnamese workers to Israel. — VNA/VNS