Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son gives an interview to Qatar's Asian Telegraph newspaper.
Báo Tin Tức•03/11/2024
At the end of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Qatar from October 30 to November 1, 2024, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son gave an interview to Qatar's Asian Telegraph newspaper about the significance and results of the visit, as well as the prospects for cooperation between the two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. Photo: VNA
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that the visit was an important milestone in the relationship between Vietnam and Qatar and had special meanings. Firstly, this was the first visit by the Head of the Vietnamese Government to Qatar in 15 years, affirming the desire and determination of the leaders and people of the two countries in bringing the Vietnam - Qatar relationship into a new phase, stronger, more comprehensive, with deeper trust, with more open opportunities as the Emir of Qatar shared "Vietnam - Qatar relations are limitless". Secondly, the visit has raised the level of relations between the two countries. The agreement between Vietnam and Qatar to promote the early elevation of relations to a new height in the coming time has created momentum for the comprehensive development of the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, opening up opportunities for both sides to increase sharing and coordination in larger multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations (UN), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League (AL), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)... Third, the visit shows that with a new mindset, strategic and long-term vision, the two countries can fully exploit the potential and advantages of each side to cooperate and develop together. For Qatar, it is an opportunity to expand the market for export goods to a growing market of 101 million people, while for Vietnam, it is to increase investment attraction from Qatar. The two sides are determined to expand cooperation in priority areas such as clean energy, green transformation, digital transformation..., bringing specific and practical benefits to both countries in the coming time. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son said that the visit was a great success with many important and substantive results, contributing to consolidating and strengthening the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries. Firstly, within the framework of the visit, many important documents were adopted, namely the Joint Communique between Vietnam and Qatar, 6 cooperation documents in the fields of diplomacy, justice, trade - investment, transportation, sports, cooperation between enterprises, etc., creating a basis for promoting cooperation in all fields between the two countries. Secondly, the visit deepened political trust, consolidating good personal relations between the two countries' senior leaders. The meetings and contacts between the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam and the leaders of Qatar took place in an atmosphere of sincerity, trust, substantiveness and mutual understanding, affirming the determination to develop bilateral relations in a substantive, effective and long-term manner. Third, the visit achieved many substantial and breakthrough results in the fields of economic, trade and investment cooperation, in which the two sides agreed to strive to increase bilateral trade turnover in the coming time; study the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Trade; consider the possibility of building a Vietnam Product Exhibition Center in Qatar; promote cooperation in the financial sector... Fourth, the visit created new momentum, opening up many cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Qatar in many fields, including new and potential fields. In addition to the goal of turning traditional fields such as security, education, tourism, people-to-people exchange... into a solid foundation for long-term friendship and cooperation, the two countries have identified the pillars of "future cooperation" as clean energy, green transformation, digital transformation, and the development of the Halal industry in Vietnam... Referring to the areas in which the two countries can strengthen cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that Vietnam and Qatar have many opportunities and potential to further strengthen bilateral cooperation for the prosperity of the people of the two countries and for peace, stability and development in each region. The key is to realize new thinking, strategic and long-term vision and determination to develop the relationship of the leaders and people of the two countries in the new phase of the relationship. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son said that Vietnam and Qatar can now focus on deepening bilateral relations in a number of key areas. First of all, the energy and renewable energy sectors. Qatar, with its rich oil and gas resources, financial and technological potential, can cooperate with Vietnam in developing energy and renewable energy projects, building a liquefied gas storage center to meet the consumption needs of the 101 million Vietnamese consumer market and expanding supply to regional customers. Second, the trade and investment sector also has great potential to promote. Vietnam, with its fast-growing economy, attractive investment environment, and open-door policies, can be an attractive destination for Qatari investors in the fields of green transformation, digital transformation, high-tech agriculture, etc. Vietnam has affirmed its position as the 35th largest economy in the world, among the 20 countries with the largest trade turnover in the world. Vietnam is an important link in 17 free trade agreements (FTAs) connecting with 60 economies, including many large economies in the region and the world, and is a top preferred investment destination among emerging and developing countries in Asia - Pacific.
Third, Halal cooperation is also a potential direction for cooperation. Both countries are aiming to build the Halal industry into an important industry of each country's economy. Vietnam has issued a strategy on enhancing international cooperation to develop Vietnam's Halal industry by 2030; Qatar has also issued a Halal Livelihood Program to turn Qatar into a global Halal industry center in the near future. The two sides need to maximize the exploitation of complementary fields, where Vietnam has demand and Qatar has strengths. Fourth, education and research are also promising fields. Vietnam and Qatar can organize student and lecturer exchange programs, cooperate in scientific and technological research to improve the qualifications and competitiveness of both sides. Fifth, culture and tourism are also fields that need to be better exploited. The two countries have cultural diversity and are very interested in cultural development. Vietnam and Qatar can organize exchange events and promote tourism to enhance understanding and cooperation between the people of the two countries. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son highly appreciated Qatar's role and position in the region, not only with its economic contributions but also in politics, diplomacy and culture. In terms of economy, Qatar possesses abundant energy resources, especially liquefied natural gas, which greatly contributes to the economic development of the region and the world. In terms of politics and diplomacy, Qatar has been playing an active role in finding satisfactory solutions to regional issues. With a flexible and practical foreign policy, Qatar has demonstrated its role as a mediator, promoting dialogue, reducing tensions, and making efforts to find solutions to many regional conflicts, contributing to maintaining peace and stability. In terms of culture, sports and education, Qatar has supported educational and cultural programs in other countries in the region and around the world, contributing to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Hosting major international sporting events such as the 2022 World Cup, the 2023 Asian Cup, or recently the Asian Dialogue and Cooperation Forum with the theme "Sports Diplomacy", once again demonstrates Qatar's efforts in building cultural bridges, promoting people-to-people exchanges, and contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son believes that with the success of this visit by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Qatar will continue to develop strongly and comprehensively. Vietnam and Qatar will work together to build a sustainable partnership, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries and contributing to peace, cooperation and development of the two regions as well as the world.
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