Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính will begin an overseas tour on November 16-24 with a stop in Kuwait, the first visit by a Vietnamese Government leader in 16 years and timed ahead of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties (January 10) next year.

Nearly five decades of robust friendship

Kuwait was the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member to establish diplomatic ties with Việt Nam on January 10, 1976. Việt Nam opened its embassy in Kuwait City in 2003, Kuwait reciprocated with an embassy in Hà Nội and a Consulate General in HCM City in 2007.

The two countries have maintained high-level visits and exchanges, meetings of the Inter-Governmental Committee, and deputy foreign ministerial level political consultations.

Economic, trade, and investment has emerged as a bright spot of bilateral ties. Kuwait is now Việt Nam’s largest GCC trade partner and investor. Two-way trade hit US$7.3 billion last year and topped $5 billion in the first nine months this year. Việt Nam ships seafood, fruits, vegetables, cashew nuts, pepper, wood products and components to Kuwait, while importing mainly crude oil. Kuwait granted market-economy status to Việt Nam in 2016, and their 1995 bilateral trade agreement remains in force.

On the investment front, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, in partnership with Japan, is a co-owner of the $9 billion Nghi Sơn Refinery and Petrochemical LLC, which started commercial operations in 2018 and supplies 5-7 million tonnes of petroleum products annually to Việt Nam under a long-term crude supply deal.

The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has extended roughly $190 million in concessional financing for 15 infrastructure projects across Vietnamese cities and provinces for many years.

Locality-to-locality links include a 2010 cooperation agreement between HCM City and Ahmadi Governorate and a 2018 pact between Thanh Hoá Province and Al Farwaniyah Governorate, facilitating people-to-people exchanges and trade.

In education and training, the Kuwaiti Government has offered scholarships to many Vietnamese students to study Arabic at Kuwait University annually since 2013.

The two countries work closely together and offer mutual support at multilateral forums. Both sides stand ready to act as bridges for cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the GCC in both political and economic spheres, opening a promising path toward deeper inter-regional connectivity in the future.

Continued consolidation of bilateral ties

PM Chính’s visit to Kuwait carries important significance, reaffirming Việt Nam’s determination to advance its foreign policy strategy toward the Middle East and realise the Politburo's Resolution 59 on global integration in the new situation.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Kuwait Nguyễn Đức Thắng said through this visit, Việt Nam seeks to further consolidate its friendship with Kuwait, enhance political trust, expand market access, and unlock untapped cooperation areas.

The timing is opportune to elevate bilateral relations to a new level that supports mutual ambitions: Việt Nam’s goal of becoming a developing country with modern industry and ranking among the top 30 global economies by 2030 and a high-income developed country by 2045, and Kuwait’s Vision 2035 that aims to transform itself into a leading financial and trade hub in the region and the world, he said.

The visit coincides with Kuwait’s rotating presidency of GCC and a marked shift in Kuwaiti policy toward stronger ties with Asia, including ASEAN members. Việt Nam and Kuwait are well-positioned to act as bridges for enhanced ASEAN-GCC inter-regional cooperation, the ambassador added.

Việt Nam also hopes that Kuwait will uphold its role in advancing the launch of negotiations on a Việt Nam–GCC Free Trade Agreement this year, he said.

During the trip, the Vietnamese PM is due to meet with Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, hold talks with Kuwaiti PM Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and receive several ministers and executives of major Kuwaiti conglomerates.

Both sides will review nearly 50 years of partnership and set wider frameworks for future collaboration. The PM is scheduled to address the Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, delivering strong messages about Việt Nam’s steady socio-economic progress and its long-term strategic vision for deeper, multi-faceted ties with the Middle East, with Kuwait as a priority partner.

The diplomat pointed to ample room to develop key potential sectors, firstly oil, gas, and energy. As the world undergoes a strong shift toward renewable energy, Việt Nam and Kuwait have many opportunities to cooperate in developing green and clean energy, in alignment with each country’s goals and international commitments. The two countries can jointly study and invest in solar power, wind power, and green hydrogen projects, leveraging Kuwait’s financial strengths and Việt Nam's production and technical capabilities.

The two countries could also partner on major projects to build new regional financial centres. Việt Nam’s dynamic economy and attractive business climate positions it as an ideal Southeast Asian gateway for Kuwaiti investors, while Kuwait serves as a strategic partner that helps Việt Nam enter the Middle Eastern and adjacent markets.

Food security presents another promising avenue. Việt Nam can provide Kuwait with quality, stable Halal-certified supplies, helping Kuwait diversify sources while enabling Vietnamese producers to scale Halal value chains for broader GCC and Middle East penetration.

Looking forward, both sides can accelerate direct flights and joint tourism campaigns to boost people-to-people and business exchanges that will sustain momentum in government, corporate and civil-society ties in the coming years, he added. — VNA/VNS