UAE Minister of Economy holds meeting with Vietnamese officials

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the UAE Minister of Economy, held a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Trinh Dinh Dung, in Hanoi during the UAE delegation's visit to Vietnam to attend the UAE-Vietnam Trade and Investment Week in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.
The meeting was held in the presence of Obaid Saeed Obaid Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Vietnam; Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade Affairs; Jamal Al Jarwan, secretary general of the Emirates Council for Investors Abroad.
During the meeting, Al Mansouri highlighted the robust and growing relations between the UAE and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam that pave the way to elevate the economic cooperation between both countries to higher levels at a rapid and sustainable pace. He pointed out that Vietnam is a strategic partner of the UAE and a vital Southeast Asian trade hub. It is also the UAE's largest Asean trading partner, recording a total non-oil intra-trade worth more than $8.2 billion in 2018.
"We look forward to strengthening joint efforts with Vietnam to increase trade and expand existing UAE investments across new sectors, particularly those supporting the knowledge economy, innovation-related areas and food security, as well as developing a business model," Al Mansouri said. "The UAE is a bustling tourism market and thanks to its highly developed aviation sector, serves as a hub that promotes tourism exchanges between Vietnam and many international tourism markets."
The Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister also said that the relations between the two countries are growing in many fields. He emphasised the importance of commonalities in the economic agenda of the two countries to support the cooperation efforts. He further praised the development and achievements accomplished by the UAE, noting that it represents a vital trade center for Vietnamese goods to enter the markets of the Middle East. He also expressed his country's desire to attract more Emirati investments, in addition to encouraging Vietnamese investments and business activities in the UAE.
"Despite our excellent cooperation, I believe that we are still in the preliminary phase, and there exist great opportunities for partnership in the coming phase to elevate this cooperation to new heights. We are keen to capitalise on the pioneering experience and development achievements of the UAE in many economic areas, which makes it an important destination to expand our trade and investment activities towards the markets of the region. We look forward to deepening our trade and investment partnerships with the UAE and work closely with the UAE Government to encourage mutual investments," said Trinh Dinh Dung.
Furthermore, he underscored his country's keenness to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai, highlighting its importance as an ideal platform to find business partners from around the world and to showcase Vietnam's products and opportunities, and to inform the world of its economic capabilities, culture and heritage. In addition, he reviewed a wide range of specific sectors and activities during the meeting. He pointed out that his country's government is keen to develop and explore prospects for cooperation and exchange of experiences and building investment partnerships with the UAE in the services sector, smart cities, technology, transport infrastructure, road and airport networks, ports, urban development, telecommunications infrastructure and tourism.
- business@khaleejtimes.com