Vietnam, Qatar enjoy strong relations: Ambassador

Ashraf SiddiquiDohaAmbassador of Socialist Republic of Vietnam HE Tran Duc Hung, in his message to the Vietnamese community in Qatar, has congratulated them on the 77th Independence Day of Vietnam, which is being celebrated with zeal and patriotic fervour on Friday. Talking to Qatar Tribune on the eve of the celebrations, Hung expressed his gratitude to the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the government and people of Qatar, for their support to the Vietnamese community in Qatar. "September 2 is the day to pay gratitude to the nation’s great leader, late President Ho Chi Min, and all those who sacrificed their lives fighting for the liberation of their motherland. Seventy-seven years ago on the same day, great leader Ho Chi Min read the Declaration of Independence to proclaim to the world our achievement of freedom from colonialism,” the envoy said. On the bilateral relations between Qatar and Vietnam, the envoy said that both countries enjoy excellent relations based on common faith and mutual interests since its establishment in 1993. He said that under the guidance of the leaders of both sides, the Vietnam-Qatar relations have developed robustly.The mutual contacts and exchange visits from various levels of the leadership have cemented bilateral relations in the political, economic, social and cultural fields. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani visited Vietnam in August this year while Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Pham Quang Hieu attended the bilateral political dialogue in Qatar in July, the envoy pointed out. Vietnam and Qatar are also committed to supporting each other at international and regional organizations. The two sides have signed an agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, official and other special passports. He said that in the economic sector, the two-way trade volume is worth more than $400 million. Both Vietnam and Qatar have agreed to create more favourable conditions for the promotion of bilateral trade and investment. For instance, State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) of Vietnam and Qatar Investment Agency (QIA) have agreed to improve the effectiveness of cooperation. The two sides also expect to enhance cooperation in various fields such as infrastructure, energy industry, renewable energy, green technology, digital transformation and food security. Vietnam and Qatar have also agreed to cooperate on the recruitment of semi-skilled and skilled workers, the envoy said. Talking on future relations, the envoy said the years 2022 and 2023 will be exciting for Vietnam and Qatar as the latter will be hosting FIFA World Cup 2022 and both countries will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations in 2023.Talking about his country’s achievements post-Independence, Vietnamese envoy said that over a period of 77 years, Vietnam has risen from a war-torn and underdeveloped country to become a low-middle-income one. On tourism sector, he said that inflow of foreign tourists has reached roughly one million mark, 10 fold of the number last year.