Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Mạnh Cường (right) had talks with Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Khaleel in Hà Nội on October 24. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Mạnh Cường held a meeting with Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Khaleel in Hà Nội on Friday, on the sidelines of the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime.

Deputy Minister Cường welcomed Minister Khaleel’s participation in the event and commended the growing friendship between Việt Nam and the Maldives over the past five decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

He underlined Việt Nam's wish to capitalise on the potential and opportunities of cooperation with the Maldives, thus helping to develop bilateral ties more substantively in the coming time.

Minister Khaleel, for his part, congratulated Việt Nam on its remarkable socio-economic progress and expressed his hope to learn from the country’s development experience.

Noting with satisfaction the stable and increasingly reinforced relations for over 50 years, he affirmed that the Maldives highly treasures and looks forwards to deepening its relationship with Việt Nam.

The two sides agreed on the need to promote exchanges of high-level and ministerial-level visits, establish dialogue mechanisms, and soon sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two ministries.

Building on their potential and strengths in trade, tourism, aquaculture, agriculture, and maritime transport, the two sides consented to encourage relevant ministries and agencies to negotiate and sign agreements that will create a legal framework for cooperation in specific areas. They also emphasised the importance of further strengthening trade ties and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

At the meeting, both sides also agreed to continue close cooperation on issues of mutual  concern, such as responding to climate change and rising sea levels, ensuring safety, security, and freedom of navigation on the basis of international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also pledged to enhance coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially at UN organisations. — VNA/VNS