Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a reception for Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, eyeing deeper cooperation with the UAE in various fields.

The top UAE official paid a two-day visit to Vietnam on Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

During the reception, Prime Minister Chinh affirmed that potential for two-way cooperation remains high.

Vietnam and the UAE should complete negotiations on a Vietnam – UAE comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) as soon as possible in order to advance bilateral trade activities, he said.

The Vietnamese government leader proposed that the UAE support Vietnam in developing its Halal industry to contribute to ramping up the two-way trade turnover.

He also expects the UAE help the Southeast Asian nation build an international financial hub that will connect with innovation, energy transition, environmental protection, and natural resource management networks.

Furthermore, PM Chinh encourages UAE firms and investment funds to tap into the technology transfer, logistics, real estate, infrastructure, and service fields in the country.

Minister Nahyan said that UAE firms and investors highly value Vietnam’s business and investment climate.

Notably, these UAE companies expect to boost their cooperation in renewable energy in Vietnam, affirmed the top UAE official.

He emphasized that the signing of a CEPA with Vietnam is the UAE’s top priority.

Minister Nahyan expressed his appreciation for the contribution of Vietnamese workers to the UAE’s economic growth and shared expectations that the Western Asian country will receive more highly-skilled Vietnamese laborers in the future.

Nearly 3,000 Vietnamese employees currently work in the UAE.

Vietnamese Minister Son told a talk with his UAE counterpart on the same day that Vietnam would actively collaborate with the UAE, which will host the COP28 climate summit in late November 2023, and other nations to make the event end in success.

The two ministers reached a consensus on boosting the signing of cooperation agreements in such fields as agriculture, manpower, and technology to back the two-way partnership.

Vietnam and the UAE established diplomatic ties in August 1993. The two nations always support each other at international forums and events.

The UAE is one of Vietnam’s key trade partners in the Middle East. Trade between Vietnam and the UAE totaled US$8.8 billion in 2022.

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