In an interview recently granted to the Vietnam News Agency,Deputy FM Khoi said Myanmar welcomed PM Phuc with the country’s highestceremonial rituals.
During the visit, the PM held talks with State Counsellor AungSan Suu Kyi, met President Win Myint and Speaker of the Union Assembly of Myanmar T. Khun Myat, received ChiefMinister of Yangon Region Phyo Min Thein and the Chairman of the Myanmar –Vietnam Friendship Association, visited several outstanding Vietnamese firmsand attended the inauguration of Vietnam’s HDBank branch in Yangon.
Khoi saidMyanmar’s leaders lauded Vietnam as a significant and trustworthy partner, andagreed to enhance ties with Vietnam via facilitating high-level visits,people-to-people exchange and locality-to-locality cooperation.
Both sidessigned and exchanged four documents, including the Action Programme for the2019 – 2024 period.
Two-way tradesoared from 152 million USD in 2010 to 860 million USD in 2018 and is expectedto reach 1.05 billion USD this year. Vietnam is now the seventh largestinvestor in Myanmar with 25 projects worth nearly 2.2 billion USD.
The two sidespledged to simplify procedures for Vietnam’s exports, make it easier forVietnamese firms to access more business opportunities in Myanmar, speed uplicensing and offer incentives to Vietnamese investors, and meet their demandin the fields of telecommunications, mining, infrastructure, housing, urbantechnical infrastructure and transportation.
They alsoexplored the possibility of establishing the Vietnam Industrial Park in Myanmarto draw more Vietnamese investment to the country.
On nationaldefence-security, they promised to expand collaboration in navy, militarymedicine, defence industry, logistics, border management, the fight againsttrans-national crimes, including drug trafficking, and sign extradition agreements.
Regarding regionaland global issues, Myanmar congratulated Vietnam on winning a non-permanentseat at the United Nations Security Council for the 2020 – 2021 tenure with anabsolute majority of votes.
The Myanmarside vowed to work closely and offer mutual support to Vietnam at internationalforums, especially when Vietnam assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020, in orderto maintain the solidarity, unity and central role of the bloc.
With regardsto the East Sea issue, both sides expressed support for ASEAN’s common stanceand highlighted the need to settle disputes by peaceful means in line withinternational law, including the 1982 UNConvention on the Law of the Sea, while maintaining freedom and ensuringmaritime and aviation security and safety in the East Sea.
Khoi said as thetwo nations will celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic tiesnext year, the visit once again affirmed the high level of trust between bothsides and strengthened their cooperation in ASEAN.
In order to realisethe outcomes of the visit, he suggested maintaining and effectively upholdingbilateral mechanisms, particularly the Joint Commission for BilateralCooperation and the joint sub-committee on trade.
He expressedhis belief that with high trust and determination, the two countries will findgreat cooperation opportunities and achieve positive results in the nearfuture./.