Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan will attend the 2023 Global Summit of Women and some bilateral activities in the UAE and pay an official visit to Qatar from May 3-8. (Photo: VNA)Hemade the remark in a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency aheadof Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan’s attendance at the 2023 Global Summit of Womenand some bilateral activities in the UAE, along with an official visit to Qatarfrom May 3-8.
Tuansaid over the last 30 years, the bilateral friendship and cooperation have beenflourishing in multiple fields, including politics, diplomacy, trade, investment,labour, and tourism. The political trust and mutual understanding havecontinually been enhanced.
Economic partnership has always formed an important pillar and a bright spot of thecountries’ cooperation. The UAE is the biggest trading partner of Vietnam inthe Middle Eastern and North African regions while Vietnam ranks first among itsASEAN partners. The UAE is now the seventh biggest importer of Vietnamese goods.In 2022, Vietnam recorded a 27.5-fold increase in exports to the UAE comparedto 2006 and a trade surplus of 3.27 billion USD, statistics showed.
Henoted that 2023 is a special year in the bilateral relations as it marks the 30th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties and the start of negotiations ona comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between the twocountries.
Theambassador described the CEPA as an important milestone in the bilateral cooperationsince it will herald a new phase of strategic cooperation in various fields;provide an important basis for the Vietnam - UAE ties to make new strides,including boosting Vietnam’s export of goods and services to the UAE as well asother countries in the Middle East and North Africa; facilitate the UAE’sinvestment in Vietnam; and help fully tap into cooperation potential in such areas asinnovation, renewable energy, logistics, technology, tourism, and agriculture.
TheVietnamese and UAE communities in each other’s countries are also bringing intoplay their role as a friendship bridge between the two sides, he said, addingthat about 3,500 Vietnamese people are working legally in the UAE, mainly in theconstruction, mechanics, shipbuilding, and service sectors.
Inthe interview, Tuan highlighted the substantial potential for trade andinvestment partnerships, especially after the launch of negotiationson the CEPA, which will serve as a legal framework for stepping up bilateraltrade and investment.
Energycooperation is also a potential field as the UAE is strong at new energy,renewable energy, and oil and gas exploration and exploitation. Besides,collaboration in agriculture is also a priority because Vietnam has strength inthis regard and can help the UAE guarantee food security.
Thediplomat also underlined the cooperation potential in terms of infrastructureand logistics, which match the UAE’s strength and Vietnam’s demand, as well as thetourism sector in which the two sides have complementary advantages.
Talkingabout opportunities and challenges for Vietnamese exports, Tuan said that earlier this year, the UAE President announced five priorities of thiscountry, including expanding international economic partnerships, which willopen up many chances for Vietnamese goods to enter this market.
However, there are also certain challenges, he added, elaborating thatVietnamese goods will face fierce competition with those from the countriesalready singing CEPAs with the UAE, logistics expenses are higher than those ofother countries due to geographical distance and high transportation prices,most food and beverage products of Vietnam haven’t gained Halal certificates,and exporters have yet to grasp the demand and behavior of Muslim consumers orbusiness practices here.
Theambassador voiced his belief that with the trust, consensus, and efforts from bothsides, along with their potential and complementary strengths, the Vietnam -UAE cooperation will enter a new development stage and become more effectiveand practical in all spheres./.
VNA
