Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has arrived at the Kokshetau airport in Kazakhstan to attend a May 29 signing ceremony for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Eurasia Economic Union.



{keywords}



Prime Minister Dung was greeted at the airport by Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Berdybek Saparbaye in addition to a large group of foreign and domestic dignitaries and Overseas Vietnamese (OVs).

The FTA with the union comprised of – Russia Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia –  which has a GDP of US$4,500 billion and consumer market 170 million strong, comes on the heels of eight official negotiations and mid-term meetings.

The trade pact is expected to create a legal framework for Vietnam and union members to increase bilateral trade relations and exchange measures to expand the agreement with other countries in the region. 

PM Nguyen Tan Dung is scheduled to pay official visits to Algeria, Portugal and Bulgaria from May 29 to June 6 at the invitation of his counterparts of respective countries.

He is accompanied by Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Nguyen Van Nen; Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang; Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh; Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong; and other senior officials.

The visits aim to illustrate the comprehensive cooperation policy of Vietnam with Europe and European Union (EU), as well as the Southeast Asian country’s important attachment to collaboration with Africa.

The Vietnamese Government leader will take this opportunity to exchange with foreign partners sustainable socio-economic development, international economic connection, and climate change.

The visits are also expected to promote new cooperation frameworks and attract foreign investment into Vietnam.

Vietnam and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties in 1992, and have provided mutual support at the United Nations and other international forums as well as recognising each other as a market economy.

Vietnam and Algeria formed diplomatic relations in 1962. Vietnam opened an embassy in Algiers a month later, while Algeria set up its embassy in Hanoi in April 1968.

Meanwhile Vietnam and Portugal set up diplomatic ties in 1975 and have since maintained exchange of delegations at different levels.

Bulgaria , whereas, was one of the first 10 countries to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam in February 1950.

In March 2001, the two countries signed a new Economic-Trade Agreement, granting each other most-favoured nation (MFN) status.

VNA