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Abu Dhabi, June 6, His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, met with His Excellency Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to discuss ways to advance trade and investment relations between the two friendly countries to new horizons of partnership and joint economic growth, especially after the launch of targeted talks. A comprehensive economic partnership agreement was reached between the two countries, the first round of which took place in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, on the fifth of June.
The discussions that took place between His Excellency Al-Zeyoudi and the Vietnamese Prime Minister touched on the latest developments in the UAE’s readiness to host the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, which will be hosted by the capital, Abu Dhabi, in early 2024, and ways of cooperation between the UAE and Vietnam to contribute to mobilizing international efforts to build consensus on key issues. Related to international trade, such as reforming the World Trade Organization, resolving disputes, and developing international rules for digital trade.
The meeting between His Excellency Al-Zeyoudi and the Vietnamese Prime Minister came as part of an official visit by an Emirati delegation headed by His Excellency to Vietnam, which witnessed many meetings with ministers and senior officials in the Vietnamese government, in addition to elite business leaders and representatives of the private sector and the business community in Vietnam.
During the visit, Al-Zeyoudi held meetings with His Excellency Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister of Industry and Trade, His Excellency Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, in addition to His Excellency Nguyen Chi Dong, Minister of Planning and Investment.
During these meetings, they explored the advancement of bilateral relations and the provision of more mutual opportunities for the business communities in the two countries, as well as ways to facilitate cooperation with the private sector and identify investment priorities in sectors of common interest.
Al-Zeyoudi also met with Pham Tan Cong, Chairman of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to discuss ways to open new horizons of trade and investment cooperation, with a focus on the opportunities offered by the unique geographical location of the UAE and its world-class logistics services to support exporters and manufacturers in Vietnam.
His Excellency Thani Al-Zeyoudi delivered an opening speech before the UAE-Vietnam Business Forum, in the presence of a group of representatives of leading Vietnamese companies in the production of food, metals, electric car industries, and others.
During his speech, His Excellency focused on the UAE business environment that is attractive to investment and business-friendly, and the incentives and facilities it provides for establishing businesses and entering the UAE market, such as the Next Generation Foreign Direct Investments initiative, which can help leading companies in Vietnam expand into new global markets.
During the visit, the delegation of Emirati business leaders, who accompanied Al Zeyoudi, held a number of fruitful bilateral meetings with their Vietnamese counterparts in priority sectors to explore aspects of future cooperation and partnership.
Commenting on the importance of the visit, His Excellency Dr. Thani Al-Zeyoudi stressed that Vietnam is the first trading partner of the UAE in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with total non-oil intra-trade reaching $8.7 billion in 2022, which represents 27% of the total. UAE trade with ASEAN countries.
His Excellency said that the talks of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Vietnam, whose first round started amid a positive and optimistic atmosphere on both sides, will lead – if successfully completed – to a noticeable increase in clear non-oil trade, and will also stimulate the flow of forms and partnerships between the business communities in the two friendly countries, pointing out He pointed out that there are great opportunities to consolidate constructive cooperation in promising sectors such as developing the green economy and food security.
The visit of the UAE delegation to Vietnam is a translation of the common desire of the leaderships of the two countries to advance bilateral relations. Cooperation between the two countries and the promising opportunities for its development and expansion of its fields to broader horizons to serve their mutual interests, especially in the investment, economic and development fields, renewable energy, food security and other aspects that are consistent with their efforts to achieve sustainable development.
The UAE delegation included His Excellency Dr. Badr Abdullah Al Matroushi, UAE Ambassador to Vietnam, His Excellency Rashid Abdul Karim Al Balushi, Undersecretary of the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Juma Mohammed Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, and His Excellency Jamal Saif Al Jarwan, Secretary General of the Emirates Council for Investors Abroad. Mohammed Al Menhali, Regional CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Group, Executive Vice President of Sardal, Samir Chaturvedi, Chief Executive Officer of International Business, Abu Dhabi Ports Group, Fatima Al Suwaidi, Head of Masdar Office in Indonesia, Fahd Hamad Al Nuaimi, Director of the Asia Office of ADNOC Global Trade, and Hamad Al Hosani, Chief Executive Officer of Partnerships. At Burjeel Holding, Saeed Al Suwaidi, Director of Food Commodities at Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, Mohammed Khamis Khalfan Nasser Al Dhaheri, Senior Agricultural Engineer at Elite Agro, Rashid Al Balooshi, Senior Vice President of Operating Assets in Southeast Asia at Mubadala Energy, and Zhou Yiting, Business Development Officer at Aimea Energy Company.
