Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc have agreed on a proposal to facilitate visits at all levels and establish effective cooperation mechanisms with Panama in a recent political consultation with his Panamanian counterpart Luis Miguel Hincapie.

This was the first consultation since the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding on launching the mechanism in October 2012, forming part of activities to celebrate the 40 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties next year.

In Panama City , both sides were committed to strengthening interactions between ministries, agencies and business communities, and fine-tuning legal regulations to pave way for the signing of wide-ranging agreements on finance, investment and education.

To gear up for the anniversary, activities such as friendship gatherings, trade and investment promotion, cultural and arts exchanges are also in the pipeline.

Turning attention to global and regional issues of shared concern, they vowed to back each other’s bid for membership to several United Nations mechanisms and work closely together at multilateral forums.

Panama keeps track of the East Sea issue and supports the settlement of disputes by peaceful means and in line with international law, the host told Ngoc.

While in Panama from November 21-22, Ngoc also paid courtesy calls to Panamanian Vice President and Foreign Minister Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado and President of the National Assembly Adolfo Valderrama.

Meeting with the executive board of the Panama-Vietnam Friendship Association, the Deputy FM said in full confidence that the association will continue playing its constructive part in the growing economic, trade, cultural, tourism ties between the two nations.

VNA/VNN