HÀ NỘI – Co-operation in trade and investment between Việt Nam and Belarus is enjoying ample opportunities brought about by the free trade agreement between Việt Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union which took effect earlier this month.

The relationship between the two countries in economy, trade and investment remained restricted and far from the political one, agreed Deputy PM Trịnh Đình Dũng and his visiting Belarus counterpart Vladimir Semashko in Hà Nội yesterday.

Despite a 14 per cent increase in 2015 compared to the previous year, two-way trade reached only US$125 million.

Additionally, Deputy PM Semashko said leaders from both sides were particularly concerned about strengthening co-operation, especially in energy, machine manufacturing, automobile, education and training.

Belarus said specialised bodies from both countries should closely work together to remove obstacles and shortcomings, and to soon increase bilateral trade to $500 million annually.

In the coming time, big enterprises from Belarus, including manufacturers of mechanical products, energy, automobile, machinery, and rubber would come to Việt Nam to seek co-operation as well as investment opportunities.

Deputy PM Dũng said Belarus should facilitate Vietnamese goods entering the country’s market, particularly farm produce.

VN, Italy look forward to increased justice ties

HÀ NỘI - The first visit to Việt Nam by Italy’s Justice Minister Andrea Orlando was of significance to justice ties between the two countries, National Assembly (NA) chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân said during a reception for the guest in Hà Nội yesterday.

Ngân applauded the Memorandum of Understanding that the two ministries of justice inked during his visit, affirming that Việt Nam’s NA would provide full assistance for comprehensive cooperation between the justice ministries and sectors.

The NA chairwoman thanked the Italian parliament for ratifying the EU-Vietnam Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA) in March. She said the PCA and the Vietnam-European Free Trade Agreement would be an impetus for furthering bilateral links in economy, trade and investment.

Minister Orlando said Italy looked forward to expanding ties with Việt Nam in fields that Việt Nam had experience, such as infrastructure and traffic and to increasing Italian investors in the host country.

The two Governments were exerting efforts to bring two-way trade from US$4.3 billion in 2015 to $5 billion.

Saying that the Government of Italy supported Việt Nam’s international economic integration policies, the minister expressed his satisfaction with the intensified mutual cooperation in science and technology, and education. — VNS