NAY PYI TAW — Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc met with Myanmar President U Win Myint in Nay Pyi Taw on Tuesday, during which the two leaders discussed bilateral co-operation in various spheres.

They agreed that the comprehensive co-operative partnership between Việt Nam and Myanmar had been growing fruitfully, while friendship, mutual understanding and political trust had been enhanced through high-level visits and meetings, and people-to-people exchanges.

PM Phúc said Việt Nam wanted to step up relations with Myanmar for the sake of the two countries’ peoples, and for peace, co-operation and the development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region.

The leaders had high praise for ties in the fields of economy, trade and investment, defence and security, agriculture, tourism, energy, and information and telecoms.

Two-way trade is expected to exceed US$1 billion in 2019, surpassing the target set for 2020, and Việt Nam is now the fifth largest foreign investor in Myanmar.

PM Phúc asked President U Win Myint to continue ensuring the rights of Vietnamese investors in Myanmar, while holding meetings between Myanmar leaders and Vietnamese businesses in the country.

The two leaders agreed to enhance co-operation in culture, sports, labour and education and training.

On regional and international issues, the two leaders said they would continue supporting each other at regional and international forums.

Regarding the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea), the two leaders said Việt Nam, Myanmar and other ASEAN member countries needed to back the group’s stance on settling disputes via peaceful measures on the basis of respect for international law.

President U Win Myint said he supported strengthening collaboration in all channels to obtain important achievements for the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2020.

He took the occasion to congratulate Việt Nam on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-21 term.

PM Phúc’s ongoing visit would help boost the traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation between the two countries, he said, stressing Việt Nam was always a trusted and supportive friend of Myanmar.

The same day, PM Phúc met with Speaker of the Union Assembly of Myanmar T Khun Myat.

The speaker had high praise for Việt Nam’s reform achievements, which he said had turned Việt Nam into one of the fastest growing economies in the region, noting that as a country now in the reform process, Myanmar hopes Viet Nam will share its experience in economic development.

High-level delegation exchanges have been held frequently, including a trip to Việt Nam by Myanmar parliament’s leader in 2017 and a visit to Myanmar by National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân in 2016.

The two sides have also worked together at multilateral and regional parliamentary forums, especially the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). The countries’ friendship parliamentary groups and legislators have also engaged in exchanges and experience sharing.

Khun Myat thanked Việt Nam for supporting Myanmar at international forums, including the United Nations, ASEAN and AIPA.

PM Phúc asked the two parliaments to work together to monitor the realisation of co-operation agreements, including the action programme for implementing the Việt Nam-Myanmar comprehensive co-operative partnership for 2019-24 that was inked on Tuesday morning.

He also called on the two parliaments to support mechanisms, policies and laws to boost the two countries’ trade and investment ties.

The PM took the occasion to ask for the Myanmar parliament’s close co-ordination with Việt Nam when the latter acts as ASEAN Chair and AIPA Chair in 2020.

Meeting with State Counsellor 

PM Phúc and State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday discussed measures to expand co-operation between the two countries.

Aung San Suu Kyi congratulated Việt Nam on its achievements in socio-economic development and external work in recent times, and on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-21 tenure.

On defence-security ties, they agreed to expand co-operation in navy, military medicine, defence industry, logistics, rescue, border management, and defence intelligence, and in fighting cross-border crimes, terrorism, illegal migration, and money laundering.

They pledged to promote negotiations for agreements on extradition and transfer of prisoners, as well as protection for confidential information.

PM Phúc thanked the Myanmar government for permitting the import of Vietnamese dragon fruits, while appreciating the country’s efforts to remove difficulties facing Vietnamese enterprises in Myanmar.

He called on the Myanmar side to remove technical barriers for Việt Nam’s goods, create favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms to access more investment and business opportunities in Myanmar, speed up licence granting and give incentives to Vietnamese investors in the country.

The Vietnamese leader applauded the Myanmar side’s suggestion to establish a Vietnamese industrial park in Myanmar, saying the Vietnamese Government always encourages its businesses to invest in Myanmar and welcomes Myanmar’s firms to expand activities in Việt Nam.

The two leaders also discussed plans to foster co-operation in agriculture, telecommunication, mining, energy and construction.

Aung San Suu Kyi agreed to make it easy for Vietnamese enterprises to join projects related to optical cables, telecommunication infrastructure, IT, social development, e-government development, oil and gas exploitation and service supply, and construction in Myanmar.

The two sides pledged to co-operate at regional and global forums.

After their talks, the Vietnamese and Myanmar leaders witnessed the signing and handing over of co-operation documents, including an action plan for implementing the Comprehensive Cooperation Partnership for 2019-24, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on agriculture and rural development co-operation, a MoU between the two foreign ministries, and a diplomatic note amending the agreement on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders of both countries. — VNS