Hanoi (VNA) – The visitof Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Türkiye will generate a fresh momentum,providing both countries with an opportunity to assess and further advancebilateral relations across various sectors, Turkish Ambassador Haldun Tekneci told the Vietnam News Agency.

Thefollowing is the full text of the interview that the Ambassador granted to theVNA on the occasion of PM Chinh’s official visit to Türkiye.

Reporter: What are your assessmentson the visit by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse to Türkiye in thecontext that the two countries celebrate the 45th year of the bilateraldiplomatic relations? 

Ambassador Haldun Tekneci:  We aredelighted and honoured to welcome and host Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh andhis spouse, Madame Le Thi Bich Tran.

This visit marks the first officialvisit from Vietnam to Türkiye at the level of Prime Minister. Its historicalsignificance is further enhanced as it aligns with the 100th anniversary of theTurkish Republic and the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomaticrelations between the two nations.

Our friendly relations are rooted inmutual respect, and the people of Türkiye and Vietnam share a positive perceptionof each other.

Despite the considerablegeographical distance, we have witnessed the growth and diversification ofconnections between Türkiye and Vietnam over the years.

Commercial, economic, social,cultural, developmental assistance, educational, and tourism-related bonds,among others, between the two countries have experienced an upward trajectory.

Bilateral trade, exceeding 2 billionUSD, the strengthening presence of Turkish investors in Vietnam, projectscarried out by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, Turkish statescholarships granted to Vietnamese students, and the broadcast of Turkish TVseries in Vietnam have all played their part in reinforcing the ties betweenTürkiye and Vietnam.

We are confident that His ExcellencyPham Minh Chinh’s visit will generate a fresh momentum, providing bothcountries with an opportunity to assess and further advance bilateral relationsacross various sectors.

Reporter: Which are the highlightsof the relationship of the two countries over the past 45 years?

Ambassador Haldun Tekneci: There are of course many highlightsthat characterize the relations between Türkiye and Vietnam. Notable among themare improvement of contractual relations, the establishment of direct flightsfor both passenger and cargo between our countries and Vietnam's recent show ofsolidarity following the earthquake disaster in Türkiye early this year.

Turkish Airlines, our national flagcarrier, maintains a direct link between our nations through regular flights toHanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from Istanbul. We are pleased to witness thedeepening cooperation between Vietnam Airlines and Turkish Airlines. I believethat the increasing number of passenger and cargo flights will continue topositively impact the strengthening of the bonds between our two nations.

When formidable earthquakes struckTürkiye on February 6, 2023, Vietnam demonstrated unwavering commitment bycontributing to international humanitarian aid and participating in search andrescue missions. It is noteworthy that this marked the first time a militaryVietnamese search and rescue team operated outside Vietnam, underscoring thevalue Vietnam places on its relationship with Türkiye. We deeply appreciateVietnam's support and solidarity in alleviating the consequences of the lossand destruction caused by these earthquakes.

 Reporter: Although economic andtrade cooperation is the brightest point of the bilateral relations, theachievements have not met the potential. So, in your opinion, what should thetwo countries do to realise the targeted two way trade revenue of 4 billion USDby 2025 as set by the two countries’ leaders?  

Ambassador Haldun Tekneci: Our trade volume has exceeded 2billion USD over the past decade. To meet the 4 billion USD target, fostering amore balanced and mutually beneficial outcome, our countries need to simplifyimport-export procedures, promote exchanges of business delegations, facilitatecross-border trade, and open up internal markets for products that complementeach other.

Additionally, it's worth noting thegrowing interest from Turkish businesses in the Vietnamese market. For example,Vietur, a consortium led by Türkiye’s IC İçtaş, recently secured a bid toconstruct the passenger terminal for Long Thanh International Airport. Theground-breaking ceremony took place in early September this year with theparticipation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

We anticipate that Turkishcompanies, spanning the heavy infrastructure construction, agriculture,renewable energy, technology, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, willfurther expand their presence in Vietnam in the future. Simultaneously, weencourage and invite the Vietnamese business community to invest in Türkiye.

Reporter: Along with economiccooperation, to which sectors will the two countries give priority to push upthe relationship? 

Ambassador Haldun Tekneci: In addition to trade and investment,we recognize significant potential and are committed to exploring opportunitiesacross various other fields, including fisheries, forestry, aviation,education, the defence industry, security, transportation, and logistics.

Over the last decade, Türkiye'sconnections with Asian nations, including Vietnam, have steadily grown. A fewyears ago, we introduced the Asia Anew Initiative to further enhance ourengagement with Asia. 

We have expanded our diplomaticpresence in the region, establishing embassies in each ASEAN member country.Furthermore, we have implemented the "Far Countries Strategy" tobetter address the challenges encountered and opportunities presented when dealingwith geographically distant nations, such as Vietnam.

Additionally, Türkiye’s SectoralDialogue Partnership with ASEAN, combined with the mutually complementary rolesthat Türkiye and Vietnam play in other international forums, provides us withfurther avenues for enhancing our relations./.