Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Vice PresidentVo Thi Anh Xuan and her visiting Nigerian counterpart Yemi Osinbajo agreed onspecific orientations to deepen cooperation between the two countries in aneffective manner, during their talks in Hanoi on December 5.

Xuan noted that Osinbajo’s official visit toVietnam, from December 5-7 following their phone talks in September 2021, is of the highest level  to the Southeast Asian nation by Nigerian leaders since2005.
The Vietnamese Vice President expressed her beliefthat the trip will contribute to consolidating the fine relations between thetwo countries.

Xuan congratulated Nigeria on its achievements inpolitical stability, socio-economic development and COVID-19 prevention andcontrol, as well as its rising position in the region and the world, andexpressed her belief that the African nation will reap more attainments in thetime ahead to be included in the Group of 20 (G20).

Osinbajo highly valued Vietnam’s comprehensive achievementsin the cause of reform, integration and development, and its rising position atregional and multilateral forums.

Vietnam will effectively contribute to activities ofthe United Nations in peace building and development, he believed.

The two sides lauded active developments in thebilateral ties, even amid the COVDI-19 pandemic, in politics-diplomacy, and tradeand investment, stressing that the two countries have strived to raise theirbilateral trade to over 500 million USD and become important trade partners ofeach other in respective regions.

They reiterated the importance of delegationexchanges and meetings via all channels of governments, legislatures,ministries, agencies and localities, as well as people-to-people exchanges toenhancing political trust and creating a new impulse for the economic links.

The two sides consented to maintain their closecoordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially the UnitedNations, and displayed their readiness to work as bridges to help the otherestablish relations with regional organisations such as the Economic Communityof West African States (ECOWAS) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN).

Both affirmed their resolve to enhance cooperationin economy and make the bilateral trade match the potential of the twocountries.

Xuan suggested Nigeria facilitate the market accessof Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products and consumer goods.

Host and guest shared the view on the significance ofagricultural development to ensuring national and global food security, andthat ample room remains for the two countries to boost cooperation in thisfield in either the bilateral or trilateral models.

Both expressed their hope for stronger collaboration in investment,digital economy, green transformation, energy, and national defence andsecurity.

They welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understandingon defence cooperation within the framework of the visit, and concurred tocoordinate to accelerate the ratification and implementation of the signedcooperation documents.

They will also work to push ahead with thenegotiations and signing of agreements on investment encouragement andprotection and double taxation avoidance, among others, in order to consolidatethe legal framework for the bilateral economic ties.

The officials also compared notes on regional andinternational issues of shared concern, saying regional and global issuesshould be settled by peaceful measures in accordance with internal law.

Vice President Osinbajo used the occasion to invitehis Vietnamese counterpart to pay an official visit to Nigeria, and Xuan suggested the two countries’ foreign ministries to arrange the trip at anappropriate time./.