President Trần Đại Quang (R) recieves Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Mirzaev Zoyir in Hà Nội on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — President Trần Đại Quang urged Việt Nam and Uzbekistan to fully tap their co-operation potential in various fields while receiving Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Mirzaev Zoyir in Hà Nội on Thursday.

He suggested the two sides work out measures to boost two-way trade, which stood at US$37.42 million in 2016, via the intergovernmental committee on economic-trade and science-technology co-operation.

The President also recommended stepping up affiliation in specific realms such as garment-textile, footwear, cotton and fiber production, farm produce, seafood, plant varieties, animal breeding, and oil and gas.

Apart from increasing high-level delegation exchanges for better mutual understanding and trust, Việt Nam and Uzbekistan should expand co-operation in culture, tourism, and education-training, he said.

He took this occasion to thank Uzbekistan for actively supporting Việt Nam’s bid to join the United Nations Human Rights Council in the 2014-2016 tenure and the World Heritage Committee in the 2013-2017 tenure. He called on Uzbekistan to continue supporting and co-ordinating with Việt Nam at multilateral forums in the region and the world at large.

For his part, Deputy PM Mirzaev Zoyir said the ongoing visit of the Uzbekistani delegation is intended to study Việt Nam’s experience in socio-economic development. Uzbekistan wants to enhance co-operation with Việt Nam in politics, economics, trade and investment, specifically in cultivation, processing and exporting farm produce, footwear, and apparel products, he added.

The country is also keen to further bilateral co-operation in personnel training and sharing know-how in the sustainable and effective use of water resources, he said.

The guest handed a letter from Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to President Quang, expressing his wish to propel the two nations’ friendship and co-operation forward, and inviting President Quang to pay a State-level visit to Uzbekistan. — VNS