At an October 31 reception for the Israeli Minister, Dung spoke highly of the outcome of talks between Shamir and his Vietnamese counterpart Cao Duc Phat, noting that the Israeli delegation’s visit will contribute to bolstering cooperation in potential areas such as agriculture, science-technology, defence and security and trade and investment.
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Israeli Minster of Agriculture and Rural Development Yair Shamir (L) and PM Nguyen Tan Dung |
PM Dung suggested both sides convene for a joint committee meeting to increase bilateral cooperation and accelerate negotiations on the early signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) aiming to lift two-way trade to a higher level in the time ahead.
Dung also asked the Israeli side to increase its ODA funding for Vietnam to help the country with human resource training, infrastructure development and adaptation to climate change.
The Vietnamese Government will offer favourable conditions for Israeli businesses’ high-tech investment in Vietnam, Dung said.
For his part, Israeli Minister Shamir applauded the results of cooperation over the years, adding that the current US$1 billion two-way trade is likely to increase rapidly in the time to come.
He said both sides need to create a legal foundation for expanding bilateral cooperation in pharmaceuticals, hi-technology, chemicals and fertilizer.
