The National Assembly of Vietnam supports the win-win cooperation between the governments of Vietnam and Kazakhstan based on refining their legal systems to enable businesses and investors to access each other’s market.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (L) meets with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan made the remark at a meeting with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev in Astana on October 17 as part of her ongoing official visit to the country.

She proposed the Kazakh Prime Minister and government create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to explore investment opportunities in Kazakhstan.

The Chairwoman also expressed her pleasure at the growing traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries.

The bilateral high-level delegation exchanges have contributed to enhancing political trust and created a momentum to boost their multidimensional collaboration, she noted.

She thanked Kazakhstan for close coordination with Vietnam at multilateral forums and hoped the two nations will continue maintaining and strengthening information exchanges for better understanding and mutual assistance.

While referring to the growing cooperative ties between the Vietnamese and Kazakh legislative bodies, Ngan informed the outcomes of her talks with Chairman of the Mazhilis (lower house) of the Kazakhstan Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin.

She said the two sides agreed on measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation, through which promoting the cooperative relations between the two countries.

For his part, PM Sagintayev highly valued the visit by Chairwoman Ngan which took place on the occasion of the 25th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Kazakhstan diplomatic ties.

He recognised the positive outcomes in the bilateral economic and trade partnership since the two countries signed and implemented the Vietnam-Eurasian Free Trade Agreement.

The two sides agreed to evaluate the one-year implementation of the agreement and seek more effective measures to optimise benefits from the deal, he said.

The same day, Chairwoman Ngan met with Deputy Chairman of the Nur Otan Party Abraruly Kul-Mukhammed who spoke highly of Vietnam-Kazakhstan cooperation in various fields, particularly oil and gas.

He affirmed that Kazakhstan considers Vietnam a close friend and hopes to enhance cooperation with the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Top Vietnamese, Kazakhstani legislators hold talks

The Party, State and people of Vietnam want to step up cooperative relations with Kazakhstan in all fields, said National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (L) and Chairman of the Mazhilis (lower house) of the Kazakhstani Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin

At the talks with Chairman of the Mazhilis (lower house) of the Kazakhstani Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin in Astana on October 17, Ngan said her ongoing visit aims to enhance and deepen the friendship and traditional cooperation between the two countries in general and the two parliaments in particular. 

She said the bilateral relationship is thriving in various areas, ranging from politics to economy, trade, culture, tourism and security, with two-way trade now reaching 300 million USD per year. 

The top legislator affirmed that the Vietnamese Government and relevant agencies always support and create favourable conditions for foreign businesses, including those from Kazakhstan, expressing her wish that Kazakhstan will assist Vietnamese firms in seeking investment opportunities in the country. 

The two leaders held that the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (VN-EAEU FTA), which came into one year ago, has generated many opportunities for Vietnamese and Kazakhstani businesses. Therefore, they suggested the two sides make the most of tax incentives offered by the pact to boost exports. 

Nigmatulin said Kazakhstan hopes to further beef up partnerships with Vietnam in the fields of agriculture, transport and tourism. 

Ngan urged the two sides to evaluate the one-year implementation of the VN-EAEU FTA to withdraw lessons and set forth measures in order to continue implementing the deal effectively. 

They said that Vietnam should increase its export of rice, rubber, coffee, seafood, computers, phones, machines and equipment to Kazakhstan while importing metal, steel and iron, ore, minerals and other products from the country. 

The two leaders agreed to maintain the Vietnam-Kazakhstan Inter-governmental Committee on Economic-Commercial and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and soon organise the eighth meeting of the committee. 

In addition to enhancing mutual support at international organisations, especially the UN, Vietnam and Kazakhstan need to strengthen collaboration in all channels, between the parties, states, localities, business and people-to-people exchange. 

In the realm of security, Ngan suggested that the two nations should intensify cooperation and focus on exchanging information and combating terrorism, transnational and high-tech crimes, and illegal immigration. She underlined the need for the two sides to soon reach consensus on the contents of an agreement on the transfer of convicted persons so that it could be signed in the coming time. 

Nigmatulin said Kazakhstan want to exchange legislative experience with Vietnam and suggested the two sides expand cooperation between specialised committees of the two parliaments.

While consenting to the host’s proposal, Ngan said legislative ties are an important channel for cooperation between Vietnam and Kazakhstan, saying the Vietnamese NA wants to enhance its cooperation with the Kazakhstani Parliament at regional and international forums. 

The top legislators also agreed to continue the exchange of high-ranking delegations as well as between parliamentary committees and agencies, while joining hands to supervise the implementation of cooperation agreements signed between the two governments.

NA Chairwoman wishes for increased trade with Kazakhstan

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) and Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Kassym Zhomart Tokayev 

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has expressed wish that two-way trade between Vietnam and Kazakhstan will be boosted, as will links across security, education-training, culture and tourism. 

During a meeting with Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Kassym Zhomart Tokayev in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan on October 17, Ngan informed the host about the outcomes of her talks with Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament (Lower House) of Kazakhstan Nurlan Nigmatulin, saying that both sides agreed on specific cooperation contents to boost ties between the two legislatures and multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries.

She asked for reviewing the outcomes of the one-year implementation of the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (Vietnam-EAEU FTA) and effectively upholding Vietnam-Kazakhstan Inter-Governmental Committee mechanism. 

In the near future, she suggested that both sides should finalize the contents of the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons for the early signing, boost joint work in line with the education-training cooperation agreement signed in September 2009 and the supplementary Protocol signed in November 2011, effectively realise the tourism agreement signed in November 2011 and related deals. 

The Vietnamese legislature wants to strengthen ties with the Kazakh parliament at regional and global forums, she said. 

On the occasion, she informed Kazakh Senate Chairman that the 14th Vietnamese NA has established the Vietnam – Kazakhstan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group to help with linking the two law-making bodies together. 

The Vietnamese NA leader proposed upholding consultation mechanism and mutual support at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum. She asked for discussing regional and global issues of shared concern, facilitating the exchange of all-level visits and monitoring the implementation of agreements signed between the two nations. 

Tokayev, for his part, hailed the significance of the first visit made by a Vietnamese NA leader to the country. 

He said the two countries’ two-way trade rose to 375 million USD in the first eight months this year from 370 million USD in 2016. The figure is estimated at 450 million USD this year, which he said, is still below the two countries’ potential. He asked for more active involvement of legislators in pushing their governments to promote trade.

The host agreed with the Vietnamese leader on fully tapping incentives and opportunities brought about by the Vietnam-EAEU FTA. The two sides could export and import goods of strength and demand, he suggested. 

Kazakhstan welcomes small- and medium-sized Vietnamese enterprises to do business in the country, he said, adding that the two nations will continue working closely together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year. 

He also took the occasion to invite Vietnam to attend the sixth Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions slated for October 2018 in the country.

NA Chairwoman meets Secretary of Kazakhstan communist party

Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (L) ​and First Secretary of the Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan Zhambyl A. Akhmetbekov 

Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan had a meeting with First Secretary of the Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan (CPPK) Zhambyl A. Akhmetbekov in Astana on October 18 as part of her three-day official visit to the country. 

The Vietnamese top legislator said her visit to Kazakhstan is set to tighten solidarity between the two countries. 

Ngan told her host that the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has continuously conducted reshuffles to meet requirements of the revolution in the new period, with all of its activities aiming to serve people.  

Under the CPV leadership, Vietnam is growing fast, as reflected by people’s better living standards and the country’s higher position in the international area, she said.  

Vietnamese people always keep in mind valuable support of the CPPK during their past struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as the present cause of national construction and development, Ngan said. 

She expressed her delight when seeing all political parties in Kazakhstan attach importance to the friendship with Vietnam.

For his part, Zhambyl A. Akhmetbekov said Kazakhstan has carried forwards achievements of the October Revolution, cared for people’s lives and backed internationalism. 

The host said with about 104,000 members, the CPPK wins support of one million people. 

Following the meeting, NA Chairwoman Ngan and her entourage left Astana to go home.

VNA