Prime Minister: Proposal to increase the scale of the Vietnam

Photo caption — Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Mr. Nasser Suliman Al Harthy, Vice Chairman of the Oman Investment Authority (OIA). *Photo: Duong Giang/VNA*

Welcoming Vice Chairman of the Oman National Investment Authority Sheikh Nasser bin Suliman Al Harthi and the OIA delegation to visit and work in Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the working trip in the context of Vietnam - Oman relations continuing to be consolidated and strongly developed in many fields, especially in investment and economic cooperation.

Considering Oman as one of the leading potential partners in the Middle East, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his delight at the positive results of the cooperation between Vietnam and Oman, however, there is still a lot of room to expand cooperation between the two sides.

According to the Prime Minister, at the recent 2nd ASEAN - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, the Prime Minister had a meeting and discussion with the Secretary General of the GCC and leaders of the Gulf region. The two sides highly agreed on the early launch of negotiations on the Vietnam - GCC Free Trade Agreement, at the same time, studying investment protection agreements and promoting cooperation in areas such as digital transformation, renewable energy, financial centers and green economy, high-tech agriculture, Halal food, etc.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged and highly appreciated the pioneering, effective and strategic role of the Vietnam - Oman Investment Fund (VOI) during more than 17 years of operation in Vietnam, demonstrating a long-term vision, sustainable investment thinking and commitment to accompany the socio-economic development of Vietnam, with a selective, focused and transparent investment approach that the Vietnam - Oman Investment Fund is implementing.

Emphasizing that these investments not only create economic value, but also contribute to improving public services, developing social infrastructure and improving people's quality of life, the Prime Minister suggested that Oman expand and increase the scale of the Vietnam - Oman Investment Fund to 1 billion USD to better support Vietnam's investment and development needs, in line with the scale of the economy, with interest rates suitable to Vietnam's conditions.

The Prime Minister proposed that Oman and the Vietnam-Oman Investment Fund not only support and invest in strategic areas such as infrastructure, clean water, renewable energy, healthcare, education, consumer finance, etc., but also participate in supporting the development of Vietnam's private economy, as well as in the fields of agriculture, Halal food; believing that with the support of strategic partners such as Oman, the two sides will together build a deeper, more effective and more sustainable cooperative relationship.

Vice Chairman of the Oman National Investment Authority Sheikh Nasser bin Suliman Al Harthi sincerely thanked the Prime Minister for taking the time to receive the delegation; emphasizing that Oman attaches importance to strengthening cooperation with Vietnam, especially investment cooperation - a field with great potential and a bright spot in bilateral relations in recent times.

Informing that the Oman National Investment Authority has cooperated with the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) to establish the Vietnam New Era Growth Fund with a minimum capital of 200 million USD, Sheikh Nasser bin Suliman Al Harthi affirmed that the Fund will prioritize investment in potential areas such as technology, telecommunications, finance, Halal agriculture, digital transformation... in Vietnam, contributing to enhancing bilateral trade between the two countries.

Agreeing with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's opinion, especially on increasing the scale of the Vietnam - Oman Investment Fund, Vice President of the Oman National Investment Authority Al Harthi said that Oman could become a gateway for Vietnam to enter the Middle East; the Oman National Investment Authority pledged to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese partners, ready to play a bridging role in promoting economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, encouraging more Omani and Middle Eastern businesses to explore cooperation opportunities in Vietnam, as well as calling on Vietnamese businesses to take advantage of the strengths of the seaport system in Oman to increase exports of goods to the Middle East region.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/thu-tuong-de-nghi-nang-quy-mo-quy-dau-tu-viet-nam-oman-len-muc-1-ty-usd-703899.html