Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Timor-Leste’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dionisio Babo Soares

Vietnam and Timor-Leste have agreed on the need to further promote bilateral cooperation in promising areas such as trade-investment, education, agriculture, and fisheries.

The agreement was reached during the talks between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Timor-Leste’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dionisio Babo Soares in Hanoi on June 10.

The Timor Lester minister is on an official visit to Vietnam from June 9-11.

Minh lauded achievements that Timor-Leste has made during national construction and international integration, expressing his hope that the country will become more prosperous with stronger voice and position in the region and the world.

Dionisio Babo Soares congratulated Vietnam on winning the non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council with a record number of votes, which shows the international community’s recognition of Vietnam’s contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The two sides shared delight at the progress of bilateral ties since the two countries set up diplomatic relations in 2002.

They concurred to continue the exchange of delegations at all levels, soon sign an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, and launch the Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation to create a forum for ministries and sectors of both sides to seek measures for stronger affiliation.

The two sides will sign new bilateral deals and extend the existing ones to make a legal framework for cooperation, including those on mutual legal assistance, investment encouragement and protection, bilateral trade cooperation, and a memorandum of understanding on education collaboration.

Both sides agreed to further promote economic-trade cooperation, especially by encouraging and backing businesses to seek cooperation opportunities in each other’s market.

Dionisio Babo Soares lauded the Military Industry Telecoms Group Viettel of Vietnam to effectively operate in the country, becoming the second mobile service supplier in Timor-Leste.

He expressed his hope that more Vietnamese investors will enter the Timor-Leste market, especially in construction materials, garment, footwear, electronics, and dairy production.

The two sides defined agriculture, seafood, and oil and gas as having a lot of potential to become key areas in the bilateral cooperation in the future.

Vietnam is willing to provide technical support for Timor-Leste and send experts to the country to help in personnel training, while sharing experience in coping with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, said Minh.

Vietnam and Timor-Leste agreed to coordinate closely with each other at international and regional forums, especially within the UN.

Regarding Timor-Leste’s wish to join ASEAN, Minh pledged that Vietnam and other ASEAN countries will consider the idea and give technical support to Timor-Leste, so that the country will meet the grouping’s membership criteria.

The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted a reception for the Timor-Leste official.-VNA