Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính discusses co-operation with the President of the United Arab Emirates on phone. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính held a telephone conversation with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on the evening March 9 to discuss the regional situation and promote bilateral relations.

PM Chính conveyed greetings from Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and other Vietnamese leaders to the President and leaders of the UAE.

Sharing the difficulties faced by the people in the region due to the current conflict, the PM hoped that the UAE and all relevant parties would continue to exercise restraint, avoid escalating tensions, promote dialogue and negotiations to end the conflict, and achieve a peaceful solution based on international law and the United Nations Charter.

He emphasised Việt Nam’s readiness to cooperate with the UAE and other regional countries to promote the search for peaceful solutions to conflicts in the region.

Affirming that Việt Nam and PM Chính are close friends, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed thanked the Vietnamese leader for the phone call and highly appreciated Việt Nam‘s willingness to participate and contribute responsibly to resolving issues in the Middle East.

The UAE President stressed his desire to strengthen relations with Việt Nam, and his readiness to cooperate in promoting a stronger bilateral relationship. He proposed the leaders of the two countries actively engage in contact, expanding the scope of connections and interactions at various levels.

On this occasion, PM Chính thanked and hoped that the UAE Government would support, ensure security and safety, and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens in the UAE to be evacuated or transited through the UAE when necessary.

President Sheikh Mohamed stated that he would make every effort to ensure safety of Vietnamese citizens and is ready to arrange for their return home whenever necessary.

Expressing concern about the impact of the conflict on energy security, the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in ensuring energy security. Based on the special importance placed on relations with Việt Nam, the UAE President stated that he would provide maximum support for Việt Nam's immediate and long-term energy needs. The two leaders designated focal points to coordinate and immediately implement the commitments and agreements reached by the leaders of the two governments.

During the phone call, the two leaders also had extensive discussions on many specific measures to promote bilateral cooperation, especially in areas that align with the interests and strengths of both sides, such as financial investment in the International Financial Centre in Việt Nam, striving to promote key investment projects in high technology, infrastructure, and logistics, while accelerating the commencement of negotiations on a free trade agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Việt Nam, and realising the target of US$10 billion in bilateral trade as soon as possible.

On this occasion, PM Chính conveyed Party General Secretary Tô Lâm's invitation to the President and other senior leaders of the UAE to visit Việt Nam as soon as the situation stabilises. — VNA/VNS