PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Minister of State for Foreign Trade at the UAE Ministry of Economy Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai on December 3. (Photo: VNA)

The meeting was part of his trip to attend the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) and some bilateral activities in the UAE.

Expressing their delight at the progress in the two countries’ friendship and cooperation in multiple areas, PM Chinh and the UAE minister of state shared the view that both sides still hold huge cooperation potential to foster economic, trade, and investment ties, including UAE funds’ investment in renewable energy and infrastructure in Vietnam.

The UAE official spoke highly of the Vietnamese delegation and PM Chinh’s active contributions to COP28. He noted that thanks to strong directions from both countries’ leaders, the negotiation on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between Vietnam and the UAE has made breakthrough strides and could be signed in 2024.

PM Chinh applauded the negotiation results obtained in a record short period of time and asked both sides to keep promoting the negotiation to complete the work soon.

He welcomed enterprises and investment funds of the UAE coming to explore opportunities and expand operations and cooperation in Vietnam, adding that the Southeast Asian country is devising preferential investment policies for emerging and hi-tech sectors that the nine firms attending the meeting, including Mubadala, Masdar Energy, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, are interested in.

Together with existing regulations, CEPA and those preferential policies once taking effect will provide important bases for businesses to carry out their projects, the Government leader said, suggesting the UAE firms develop seaport cities or financial centers in Vietnam.

At the meeting, executives of the UAE enterprises said they have high expectations for the CEPA so as to step up investment partnerships with Vietnam in such fields as infrastructure, seaport, digital transformation, clean and renewable energy, financial centre building, health care, and agriculture.

On this occasion, PM Chinh and Minister of State Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi witnessed the handover of cooperation memoranda of understanding between the Port of Abu Dhabi and the Vietnam Maritime Administration, and between digital technology firm Sirius IHC and the national authority of digital transformation under the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications.

PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting with the students from the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology in Dubai on December 3. (Photo: VNA)

The same day, PM Chinh received the team of Vietnamese students who obtained a high achievement at a contest within the COP28 framework.

From November 27 to December 2, university students from 100 countries introduced their creative projects on resolving issues related to natural science, humanities, technology, and innovation in Dubai.

The students from the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology brought to the contest a project on green concrete that is completely free of cement. Their project, attracting great attention from many businesses and partners, surpassed others of over 3,000 teams to be selected as one of the 100 most effective and benefit-generating ones for the community.

Later on Sunday, PM Chinh, his spouse, and the delegation of Vietnam left Dubai for Hanoi, wrapping up the working trip to the UAE.