Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang (right) receives Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Mauritanian Government Moctar Al Housseynou Lam in Hà Nội on Thursday. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang said he expects Mauritania to act as a bridge for substantive cooperation between Việt Nam and the African Union (AU) during a reception in Hà Nội on Thursday for Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Mauritanian Government Moctar Al Housseynou Lam.

Noting the positive outcomes of Moctar Al Housseynou Lam’s earlier working session with Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung this morning, Giang welcomed the Mauritanian delegation and wished that the visit would propel bilateral ties.

On political and diplomatic relations, he called for more high-level delegation exchanges and proposed the two nations explore a cooperation mechanism between their foreign ministries, while urging sustained mutual backing at multilateral forums.

Regarding economic cooperation, given the complementarity between the two countries in their respective strengths and key products, Giang stressed the need to step up trade and investment promotion activities and further open their markets.

He also pushed for translating cooperation potential into concrete projects in fisheries and energy, on the back of their long coastlines.

The host shared Việt Nam’s experience in modernising and digitising Government operations to boost administrative efficiency, affirming that Việt Nam stands ready to share its expertise with Mauritania.

For his part, Moctar Al Housseynou Lam expressed delight at visiting Việt Nam for the first time.

He described Việt Nam as a source of pride for countries that fought for independence, calling it a model of socio-economic development, improved living standards, and responsible contributions to the international community.

Thanking Giang for his cooperation proposals, he pledged to relay them to Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani for swift response. — VNA/VNS