Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long suggested launching charter flights between Vietnam and Malta to boost the two countries' bilateral tourism and trade cooperation at a ceremony to celebrate 50 years of their diplomatic relations in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

With an area of 316 square kilometers and a population of some 563,400 people, the island country welcomed up to three million tourists last year.

The country has emerged as a leading destination for Vietnamese travelers to explore Europe, Deputy Minister Long added.

Malta is attractive to tourists with its 300 sunny days per year, UNESCO-recognized heritage cities, and beautiful beaches.

Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, claimed that the Vietnam-Malta relations had boasted remarkable achievements thanks to their mutual trust and respect.

Malta and Vietnam established diplomatic relations on January 14, 1974, making Malta one of the first western European countries to set up relationships with the Southeast Asian country, proving Malta’s strong support of the Vietnamese people’s struggle for national independence and reunification, Cutajar shared.

Vietnam, an important member of ASEAN, and Malta, a prosperous center of the European Union, have developed a strong relationship in various sectors, including trade, tourism, and education. Of which, their tourism cooperation potential is huge.

Nguyen Van Dung, vice-chairman of the administration in Ho Chi Minh City, expected the city and Malta would make breakthroughs in their relations in the coming time thanks to their political trust and mutual understanding.

Malta, with its strategic location in the Mediterranean and its role as a bridge between Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East, holds high potential to cooperate with Ho Chi Minh City--an economic, cultural and innovative hub in Vietnam, Dung noted.

He also affirmed that there were many untapped opportunities and areas for both sides to explore and develop.

During the Malta Week in Vietnam from December 11 to 15, there were the “Experience Malta” photo exhibition which introduced Malta’s culture and history and a workshop to discuss Malta-Vietnam cooperation opportunities in finance, investment, tourism, fintech and blockchain.

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