Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son receives Maldives Foreign Minister

Receiving Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel on the occasion of the Minister's attendance at the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi (the Convention), on October 24, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son welcomed Minister Abdulla Khaleel for representing the Government to attend the signing ceremony of the Convention; thanked Maldives for its support and close cooperation with Vietnam in hosting this important event.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son received Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel. Photo: An Dang/VNA

Minister Abdulla Khaleel highly appreciated Vietnam's hosting role, emphasizing that this is a Convention of special importance - the first United Nations Convention on the prevention of cybercrime; and expressed thanks to Vietnam for the thoughtful and warm welcome given to the Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son highly appreciated the good friendship between Vietnam and Maldives over the past 50 years (1975-2025); expressed his appreciation for Maldives' support for Vietnam both bilaterally and at multilateral forums of the United Nations, most recently supporting Vietnam's election to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2026-2028 term.

Minister Abdulla Khaleel highly appreciated Vietnam as one of the fastest growing economies in the region; emphasizing that the two countries share many things in common, both are countries with seas, long coastlines and large exclusive economic zones; share common interests in maintaining peace and stability in the region, as well as in responding to non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, rising sea levels, etc.

The two sides agreed to soon establish a dialogue mechanism between the two Foreign Ministries and promote the signing of cooperation documents in various fields to create an important legal foundation to identify priority areas and deepen and substantiate cooperation in potential areas, including trade, tourism, fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing, agriculture, and construction.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son received Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel. Photo: An Dang/VNA

Minister Abdulla Khaleel expressed his wish to send Maldivian business delegations to Vietnam to learn from experience in aquaculture and seafood processing, and was willing to share experience with Vietnam in tuna exploitation and processing, and tourism development - the strong fields of Maldives. The Minister also called on Vietnamese businesses to research and invest in developing tourism facilities and accommodation in Maldives because this is a very potential and profitable field.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son and Minister Abdulla Khaleel agreed to enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two countries by promoting airlines to open direct flights, as well as enhancing policies to facilitate travel for people and businesses of the two countries.

The two sides also affirmed that they will continue to strengthen close cooperation and support each other at multilateral forums, especially supporting each other's candidacies at important United Nations agencies.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/pho-thu-tuong-bui-thanh-son-tiep-bo-truong-ngoai-giao-maldives-20251025074405275.htm