At the fourth political consultation between the two foreign ministries in Hanoi on Friday, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang and Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs of Kuwait Samee Essa Johar Hayat underscored the need to increase economic and trade cooperation.

Ms. Hang proposed enhancing cooperation in sharing expertise, mutual recognition, and investment in the Halal industry to increase Vietnam's exports to Kuwait and the broader Gulf region.

Both sides agreed to work closely to draw investment, particularly from the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), into Vietnam. They also discussed ways to improve the efficiency of the Nghi Son refinery project, ensuring it continues to contribute  to bilateral socio-economic development.

Discussions also focused on other promising areas such as food security, tourism, labor and aviation, with both sides pledging to expedite negotiations and finalize documents to refine the legal framework for bilateral cooperation.

Deputy Minister Hang suggested that Kuwait consider increasing scholarships for Vietnamese students and collaborate closely with Vietnam to deploy and expand ODA cooperation projects in the future.