State President Lương Cường and King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the podium of honour, listening to the two nations' national anthems. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

 HÀ NỘI — King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein of Jordan and his delegation left Hà Nội on Thursday afternoon,  concluding a two-day official visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of State President Lương Cường.

During the visit, King Abdullah II and his delegation laid wreaths and paid respect to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum, as well as at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs in Hà Nội.

President Lương Cường hosted the Phạm Minh Chính, and National Assembly Chair Trần Thanh Mẫn also held meetings with the Jordanian monarch.

King Abdullah II and Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn attended the Việt Nam–Jordan Business Forum. During the visit, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung and the Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Diplomatic Academy of Việt Nam and the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy.

At high-level talks and meetings, Vietnamese leaders emphasised that Việt Nam and Jordan share many common values, including resilience and the determination to achieve national independence and liberation. Việt Nam highly values and seeks to strongly, practically, and effectively promote multifaceted cooperation with Jordan. Both countries have significant potential to further enhance bilateral cooperation, benefiting not only their people but also the broader ASEAN and Middle East regions. Việt Nam places great importance on strengthening ties with Middle Eastern countries, particularly Jordan, which holds a strategic position in the region.

King Abdullah II affirmed Jordan’s desire to promote comprehensive cooperation with Việt Nam, especially between the private sectors of both countries. He expressed his wish to further strengthen political trust, expand defence and security cooperation, share scientific and technological expertise, and increase people-to-people exchanges to deepen mutual understanding.

Leaders from both sides agreed on the importance of consolidating political trust through the exchange of delegations, particularly high-ranking ones. They also committed to effectively implementing the MoU signed between the two foreign ministries, hastening the establishment of additional cooperation mechanisms, and soon appointing honorary consuls in each country to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

Building on this foundation of political trust, the two sides agreed to expand collaboration in key areas, including defense and security, information sharing, and personnel exchanges among relevant institutions to improve mutual understanding and share experience in areas of common interest.

They also pledged to facilitate market access for each other’s key products and encourage enterprises to explore investment and cooperation opportunities, particularly in infrastructure development, green economy, digital economy, telecommunications, and agricultural production and processing, while promoting connections within the startup and innovation ecosystem. King Abdullah II proposed studying the possibility of establishing direct flights and easing visa procedures for citizens of both countries.

Việt Nam expressed readiness to increase exports of its key products to Jordan. Jordan, in turn, is ready to support Việt Nam in developing the Halal industry by sharing information and experience, providing Halal certification support, and opening the market for Vietnamese Halal products. The leaders also discussed measures to enhance cooperation in health care – an area of Jordan’s strength, particularly telemedicine and the application of technology in medical services.

In education and training, both sides agreed to strengthen student exchanges and academic collaboration, particularly in emerging fields such as science and technology, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors, recognising significant potential for creating opportunities for the younger generation in both countries.

Regarding cooperation at multilateral forums, the two sides agreed to continue supporting each other’s candidacies and to act as a bridge to promote cooperation between the Arab League and ASEAN. They also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue.

Based on 45 years of positive Việt Nam–Jordan relations, King Abdullah II’s visit to Việt Nam marks a historic milestone in bilateral relations, opening a new phase of cooperation and laying the foundation for advancing collaboration in areas of mutual interest. — VNA/VNS