(VOVworld)- Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on Thursday began an official visit to Vietnam. Both countries have witnessed rapid developments in their bilateral friendship and multifaceted cooperation in recent years. Last year, the two countries have raised their relationship to the comprehensive cooperation partnership. In such a context, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov’s visit will help further the bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The traditional friendship between Vietnam and Ukraine has strongly developed despite fluctuations over the past years. The two peoples share many similarities and enjoy potential for mutual development. Both countries have exerted efforts to boost the bilateral cooperation and coordination at multi-lateral and international forums.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Azarov.

In recent years, due to impacts of the global economy, the two-way trade has reduced slightly, but still totalled 300 million USD last year, up 17% against the previous year and reached 175 million USD so far this year. Ukraine has granted the most favoured nation status to Vietnam in exporting seafood. The two countries’ leaders are determined to increase the two-way trade turnover in the near future. During a visit to Ukraine in last November, the two Prime Ministers signed a Joint Declaration to bring the bilateral ties to comprehensive cooperation partnership and activate negotiations on a free trade area and a series of trade and investment cooperative agreements. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was speaking during his visit to Ukraine last year. “The two countries’ Inter-governmental Committee need work out a protocol on plant quarantine and sign an agreement on this regard to lift unnecessary barriers and facilitate the exchanges of agricultural and fishery products. We encourage enterprises from both countries to invest in producing and processing agricultural products”.

Currently, Ukraine has 4 investment projects in Vietnam totalling around 24 million USD. Meanwhile, Vietnam is investing 2.6 million USD in 4 projects in Ukraine. During the Ukrainian President’s visit to Vietnam in March last year, the Vietel group and Ukraine’s National Project Management Agency signed a memorandum of understanding on an Internet broadband project worth 600 million USD in Ukraine.

The two countries have signed 20 cooperative agreements on economics, trade, transport, culture, science, investment promotion and double taxation avoidance. On an yearly basis, Ukraine grants Vietnam 30 scholarships. There are about 1,400 Vietnamese students studying in Ukraine. Dinh Tan Hung, Vice Secretary General of the Vietnam-Ukraine Friendship Association in Hanoi says: “Ukraine is my second homeland. I spent my youth living and studying there. When I returned to Vietnam, I connected those who have been in Ukraine and participated in activities to strengthen the relationship between Ukraine and Vietnam”.

Vietnam and Ukraine have closely coordinated and supported each other in international forums and organizations including the UN. Vietnam supported Ukraine to become an Observer of the Francophone and be re-elected to the Human Rights Council. Both sides recognized each other’s market economy status. Vietnam also supported Ukraine’s membership at the World Trade Organization.

Anh Huyen