Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan eye stronger economic ties

Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan should sign economic agreements soon to create a legal foundation for boosting their trade-investment relations, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said. 

PM Dung made the suggestion during a meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Abdyldaev Erlan Bekeshovich in Hanoi on February 18.

The PM also said he believed that the visit to Vietnam by the Foreign Minister will make practical contributions to stepping up their bilateral ties.

Vietnam always attaches importance to cooperation with Kyrgyzstan and the two countries should establish joint ventures in production to boost exports to the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, PM Dung said.

Meanwhile, the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister said his country wishes to accelerate collaboration with Vietnam in light industry, garments, textiles and mining. He proposed that the two nations soon sign economic pacts in these fields.

Like Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan is moving to join the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia and this is an opportunity for the two sides to strengthen ties in economics, trade and investment.

The same day, the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister also had talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, during which they informed each other of the socio-economic situation in their respective countries.

Both host and guest agreed that despite the geographical distance, the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan has been nurtured and well developed, especially in politics and diplomacy.

At the meeting, Bekeshovich delivered a letter from Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambaev inviting his counterpart Truong Tan Sang and Deputy Prime Minister Minh to visit the country.

After the talks, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries.

During his four-day visit to Vietnam starting February 17, the visiting minister also met with Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang and Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Affairs Tran Van Hang.