Vietnamese Ambassador to Mozambique Trần Thị Thu Thìn and Mozambique’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Roberto Mito Albino. — VNA/VNS Photo

MAPUTO — Vietnamese Ambassador to Mozambique Trần Thị Thu Thìn met with Mozambique’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Roberto Mito Albino in Maputo on Monday (local time) to promote key cooperation programmes between the two countries.

At the meeting, Ambassador Thìn conveyed the greetings of Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trịnh Việt Hùng to Albino and expressed her sincere appreciation for the close coordination extended by Mozambican authorities in recent years.

The ambassador affirmed that the traditional friendship and solidarity between Việt Nam and Mozambique have continued to be nurtured and strengthened across various fields, including trade, investment, telecommunications, education, healthcare and people-to-people exchanges, on the basis of strong political trust and mutual benefit.

Highlighting agricultural cooperation as a pillar of bilateral relations, given the similarities in natural conditions between the two countries, the ambassador noted that Việt Nam had sent numerous experts to Mozambique in recent years to provide technical assistance and share farming experience.

Through the intergovernmental agreement on higher education cooperation, Việt Nam has also granted scholarships and supported the training of highly qualified human resources for Mozambique in agriculture, fisheries and processing industries.

A highlight of bilateral agricultural cooperation was the project on rice, soybean and vegetable production in central Mozambique during the 2013–17 period.

The project delivered tangible results, particularly by helping local farmers gain access to advanced farming techniques and high-quality crop varieties, thereby contributing to higher yields of key crops in the region.

Building on these achievements, the ambassador announced that the competent authorities of both countries were actively completing the necessary procedures to launch the project's second phase soon, with a view to further boosting agricultural production and ensuring food security in Mozambique.

For his part, Albino spoke highly of the tangible results of cooperation between the two countries. He affirmed that Mozambique had always regarded Vietnam as a model from which to learn valuable lessons in socio-economic development, as well as a leading strategic partner in agricultural technical cooperation towards achieving food security and sustainable development.

The minister particularly welcomed the positive signs regarding the second phase of the agricultural cooperation project, stressing that it was fully aligned with the key objectives of Mozambique's new Strategic Plan for Agricultural Development (PEDSA) and National Agricultural Investment Plan (PNISA).

He called on the relevant agencies of both countries to maintain close coordination to bring the project into operation as soon as possible.

On the occasion, Albino expressed his wish to visit Việt Nam at a suitable time and said Mozambique would soon send delegations of officials and experts to Vietnam to learn from its practical experience.

He called on Việt Nam to continue sharing its expertise in areas where it has strengths, including intensive wet-rice cultivation, aquaculture and agricultural product processing, particularly cashew processing. — VNA/VNS