Vietnam and Qatar step up cooperation as leaders discuss Middle East tensions
(VOVWORLD) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held phone talks with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, on Monday evening.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holds phone talks with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. (Photo: Lai Hoa/VOV) |
The Vietnamese PM highly appreciated Qatar's mediation efforts to peacefully resolve conflicts in the Middle East and hoped that Qatar and all relevant parties would exercise restraint and avoid escalating tensions.
PM Chinh requested the Government of Qatar to continue paying attention to and ensuring security and safety of Vietnamese citizens in Qatar and to facilitate the transit of Vietnamese citizens through Qatar. PM Sheikh Mohammed affirmed that Qatar would protect security and safety of Vietnamese citizens "as it would protect Qatari citizens."
Regarding energy cooperation between the two countries, he affirmed that Qatar is striving to fully implement its commitments and contracts with partners, and is ready to cooperate closely to contribute to ensuring energy stability in Vietnam.
The two leaders agreed to promote the implementation of measures to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation between the two countries, especially in investment, trade, energy transition, financial investment in the International Financial Centre in Vietnam, promoting negotiations on a free trade agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Vietnam, digital transformation, and the development of the Halal sector.