(VOVworld) - Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the US Embassy in Hanoi have reached a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in mitigating biological threats.

The signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding on June 22. (Photo: VOV)

At the signing ceremony in Hanoi on Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said the current biological security issues receive much attention from the international community who seek to minimize the risks of infectious diseases via animal, plant, and ecosystem.

Phat said the MoU enables Vietnam and the US to cooperate to identify and prevent potential emerging diseases not only in Vietnam but also in the world.

“To create a long-term framework for the two governments’ cooperation, both sides find it necessary to sign a cooperative agreement. We hope that the MoU will lay a foundation for the two countries to have more cooperative activities in the future,” according to Mr. Phat.

US ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said the MoU has showed the achievements in the bilateral relations and boosted cooperation in the monitoring of emerging infectious diseases towards ensuring healthcare for Vietnamese people.