The Prime Minister of Kuwait was greeted by his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, in Hanoi on Friday, beginning his official visit to the Southeast Asian country in celebration of the two nations’ 40^th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1976 – 2016).

Kuwaiti Premier Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah was accompanied by his deputy, an education minister, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Vietnam, along with senior government officials and representatives from major businesses of Kuwait.

The leaders expressed contentment in the development of bilateral multifaceted cooperative relations over the past 40 years, regarding highly the other’s assistance and support in economic cooperation and at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The prime ministers reaffirmed their resolution to strengthen and broaden relations in the coming years, principally in the fields of commerce, petroleum, investment, development aid, labor, and education and training.

Vietnamese PM Phuc highlighted the key position of Kuwait and other Middle East nations in Vietnam’s diversified and multilateralized foreign policies, stressing the country’s hope to deepen and stabilize Vietnam-Kuwait relations, which in turn would contribute to the prosperity of each nation for the good of its people and peace and friendship across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the world.

The Kuwaiti premier lauded the effectiveness of the two counties’ petroleum cooperation and expressed his wish for combined effort to put into operation the Nghi Son Oil Refinery Complex project, located in the north-central Vietnamese province of Thanh Hoa, on schedule.

The Kuwaiti head of government expected to see more joint projects between the countries; noted Vietnam’s proposal that the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development continue to offer preferential loans to Vietnam to launch rural infrastructure development projects; considered maintaining scholarship programs for Vietnamese students to study Arabic; and mulled taking in more Vietnamese laborers to work in Kuwait.

The two sides discussed developments in the Middle East and the East Vietnam Sea, as well as other international issues, agreeing that conflicts must be resolved through peaceful measures on the basis of international law and UN principles, without interference in other countries’ internal affairs.

The prime ministers condemned terrorism and voiced support for joint international anti-terrorism efforts in line with the UN Charter and international law, while expressing intentions to enhance exchange of information to actively contribute to joint efforts for global peace, order, cooperation, and development.

On the occasion, the Kuwaiti premier also extended his invitation to the Vietnamese counterpart to visit Kuwait on a later date, which PM Phuc gladly accepted.

The leaders then watched over a ceremony to sign agreements on culture and arts cooperation, coordination between the two countries’ chambers of commerce and industry, and collaboration in the Nghi Son Oil Refinery Complex project.

Kuwaiti PM Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah was also received by Vietnam’s Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong on Friday afternoon at the headquarters of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi.

The Kuwaiti premier then visited Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang at the Presidential Palace in the capital the same day and forwarded the invitation from the Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the Vietnamese head of state to visit Kuwait on a later date.

The Vietnamese president gladly accepted the invitation and sent his regards to the Emir of Kuwait and his people, extending an invitation to the emir to pay a visit to Vietnam.

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