QNA
Doha
The relations between the State of Qatar and the friendly Socialist Republic of Vietnam are characterized by strong and excellent relations, reinforced by the common keenness to develop them and push them towards wider horizons for the benefit of the two friendly countries and peoples.
These relations are based on mutual respect and common interests, reinforced by high-level visits and agreements signed between the two parties in many fields.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on Feb. 8, 1993, at the ambassadorial level (non-resident ambassador). The Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the State of Qatar began his work in March 2008. The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Hanoi was opened on Jan. 25, 2010. The first Qatari Resident Ambassador in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was appointed in 2011. In 2023, the two countries celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
Over the past years, relations between Doha and Hanoi have witnessed significant progress in various political, economic, investment, labor, education, and other fields.
In the context of seeking to push these relations towards broader horizons and a new stage, the official visit of HE Prime Minister of the friendly Socialist Republic of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh to Doha, where he will meet HH the Amirof the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss bilateral relations and ways to enhance and develop them to serve the interests and aspirations of the two friendly countries and peoples, especially in the political, economic, trade, investment, energy, agriculture, and other fields, in addition to discussing a number of current international issues of common interest.
The two countries exchange regular visits at various levels and hold permanent consultations to strengthen their bilateral relations and increase coordination between them in international forums.
In the context of the high-level meetings between the two sides, HH the Amir met HE the Vietnamese Prime Minister on the sidelines of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh in Oct. 2023, where they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to develop them in various aspects, in addition to addressing the most prominent topics on the summit’s agenda.
In May 2023, HE Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vo Thi Anh Xuan paid an official visit to Doha, where she was welcomed by HH the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, and they discussed friendship and cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to bolster and develop them in various fields, in addition to topics of mutual interest.
During her visit to Doha, the Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam also met with HE Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al-Thani, and they discussed topics of mutual interest aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, and industry sectors.
During the meeting, HE Minister of Commerce and Industry shed light on the successful economic policies established by the State of Qatar to support the private sector, highlighting the incentives, legislation, and promising opportunities available in the country to encourage investors, businesspeople, and owners of companies to invest in Qatar.
HE Vo Thi Anh Xuan and her accompanying delegation visited the Shura Council, where she met with HE Speaker of the Shura Council, Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, who praised the depth of relations between the two friendly countries and peoples, affirming the contribution of this visit to developing and growing these relations in various fields.
For her part, HE Vice President of Vietnam hailed the relations that bring the two friendly countries and peoples together, expressing her pleasure to visit the Shura Council.
She praised the council’s experience in supporting popular engagement in the decision-making process, noting in the same context, the important role undertaken by councils and parliaments in bringing countries and peoples together and defending just causes.
During her visit to the country, HE Vo Thi Anh Xuan also met with a delegation from the Qatar Chamber (QC), with whom she reviewed bilateral relations in the economic and commercial fields and ways to enhance them, in addition to the investment climate and opportunities available on both sides and the role of the private sector in activating the trade exchange between both countries, expressing her keenness to provide necessary facilities for Qatari businessmen to invest in Vietnam.
During that visit, HE praised the friendly relations between Qatar and Vietnam, expressing her interest in developing these relations to higher levels, especially in the commercial and investment areas, and increasing the two countries’ bilateral trade exchange, as well as enhancing cooperation in the halal trade and facilitating the entry of Vietnamese halal products into the markets of Islamic countries, reviewing the investment climate available in Vietnam, where she said that her country is looking forward to attracting Qatari investors, calling on Qatari investors to invest in Vietnam.
In recent years, many Vietnamese officials have visited Doha, focusing on ways to enhance trade and economic relations between their country and the State of Qatar, as well as cooperation between the private sectors of both countries in various economic fields, reviewing the investment climate and available opportunities, and establishing companies, trade alliances, and investment projects between companies on both sides.
The two friendly countries have advanced trade relations. Vietnam mainly imports liquefied gas products, plastic raw materials, chemicals, and urea fertilizers from Qatar and mainly exports seafood products, wires, electrical cables, wood products, ceramics, fruits, vegetables, and electronic goods.
Qatar also has investments in Vietnam, which constitutes a basis for developing bilateral trade between Doha and Hanoi. Trade exchange between the two countries achieved a growth of 33% in 2022, exceeding QR 2 billion, compared to QR 1.5 billion riyals in 2021, and the completion of joint projects between the two sides in sectors such as health and pharmaceutical industries, which reflects the strength of trade relations and the desire of both sides to strengthen these relations.
On the political level, the third round of political consultations was held in Hanoi last July between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Qatari side was headed by HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, while the Vietnamese side was headed by, HE Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang. The round of political consultations dealt with discussing bilateral cooperation, in addition to a number of issues of joint interest.
There is cooperation between the two countries in the field of education, as the State of Qatar offers scholarships to a number of Vietnamese students to study the Arabic language, and the two countries are working to enhance cooperation in this field.
Vietnam is in the southeast of the Asian continent, specifically in the far east of the Indochina Peninsula. Its area exceeds 331,000 square kilometers, its population exceeds one hundred million people, and it has a coastline of more than 3,000 km. It is one of the fastest-growing Asian economies and has become one of the most famous global manufacturing hubs, as it attracts global brands of technology, automobile, electronics, and clothing companies.
Vietnam focuses directly on attracting foreign investments, which it has been very successful in, and is considered an attractive destination for investments in various sectors such as agriculture, industry, tourism, real estate, banking, and other fields, as it is a manufacturing country in various sectors, and is considered an important part of the global supply chain in many sectors such as electronics, clothing and furniture, and 143 countries invest in it, in addition to Vietnam’s membership in a number of blocs, foremost of which is ASEAN.