Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov will pay an official visit to Vietnam from November 15-16 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung to further boost cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Vietnam and Ukraine set up their bilateral diplomatic ties on January 23, 1992. Vietnam established its embassy in Kiev in 1992 while Ukraine opened its embassy in Hanoi in early 1997.

The two countries have continuously boosted their traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with the exchange of delegations.

They have closely coordinated and supported each other at international forums and organisations, including the United Nations.

Ukraine backed Vietnam in its bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2008-2009 term. Meanwhile, Vietnam supported the European country’s efforts to become an observer of the Francophone Community and its candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council as well as the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The two sides recognised each other as market economies.

At present, Vietnam exports seafood, agricultural products, handicrafts, wooden furniture, garment and footwear to Ukraine while importing steel, machinery, chemicals and fertiliser from this European market.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Ukraine reached nearly US$300 million in 2011 and over $175 million in the first eight months of 2012, a 17 percent year-on-year rise.