Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil and Suriname Bùi Văn Nghị has a meeting with Suriname's national oil company Staatsolie. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil and Suriname Bùi Văn Nghị paid a working visit to Suriname during October 12-18 to strengthen bilateral friendship, promote economic cooperation, connect businesses and explore practical areas of collaboration.

During the visit, Nghị met with Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons and held working sessions with leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation; the Ministry of Justice and Police; the Suriname Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKF); the Suriname Investment and Trade Agency (SITA); and national oil company Staatsolie.

At their meeting, President Geerlings-Simons spoke highly of the friendship between the two countries and expressed her desire to expand cooperation with Vietnam in agriculture, aquaculture, expert exchanges and technical training, thereby enhancing production capacity and ensuring food security.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of establishing a memorandum of understanding on political consultations between their foreign ministries, increasing exchanges of delegations and organising activities to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027.

In economic cooperation, the Surinamese leader expressed interest in Việt Nam's experience in agriculture, fisheries, food processing, energy, the wood industry and digital technology.

Suriname is developing a five-year industrialisation roadmap aimed at diversifying its economy, developing small- and medium-sized enterprises, attracting foreign investment and increasing domestic added value, she shared.

Both sides agreed to strengthen business connectivity, share market information and explore suitable investment projects.

During a meeting with representatives of Staatsolie, the Vietnamese diplomat proposed establishing links between the Surinamese company and the Việt Nam National Industry – Energy Group (Petrovietnam), as well as relevant Vietnamese enterprises, to exchange experience, promote technical cooperation and personnel training, and explore investment opportunities.

As part of the visit, the two sides organised a workshop on sustainable agricultural development in Paramaribo, attracting more than 70 businesses from both countries.

Participants discussed ways to improve productivity, apply science and technology, enhance post-harvest preservation and processing, provide technical training, and pilot cooperation models in agriculture and aquaculture.

The ambassador also met with the Vietnamese community in Suriname to learn about their living and working conditions, affirming that the embassy will continue coordinating with local authorities on consular affairs and citizen protection.

The visit helped strengthen Việt Nam–Suriname relations and identify concrete cooperation opportunities in agriculture, oil and gas, processing industries, human resources training and business connectivity, laying the groundwork for more substantive bilateral ties in the coming years. — VNA/VNS