Excellencies Ambassadors, Chargés d'Affaires,

Representatives of regional and international organizations,

Representatives of Ministries, agencies, and localities of Viet Nam,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to welcome Excellencies Ambassadors and Chargés d'Affaires of our brotherly Middle Eastern and African countries, representatives of development partners, international and regional organizations, representatives of Ministries, agencies, and localities of Viet Nam to the first-ever «Meet Ambassadors from the Middle East and Africa 2019» hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thank you for coming. Your presence has not only contributed to the event’s success but also serves as a vivid testament to our strong commitment to bolstering the multi-faceted cooperation between our 2 countries.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Overcoming geographical distance, cultural differences and linguistic barriers, Viet Nam and Middle Eastern and African countries have forged a close bond from the bedrock of shared values, thus laying a firm foundation for our friendship and cooperation. Such bonds of friendship manifest as the unconditional support and assistance that Viet Nam and Middle Eastern and African countries had reserved for one another in our righteous quests for national independence, and later on, as our solidarity and perseverance in advancing cooperation for the development of each and every country.

Our shared values have paved the way for the excellent achievements in our cooperation. Viet Nam has established diplomatic relations with 69 out of 70 Middle Eastern and African countries. Over 200 documents on cooperation have been signed, creating a favorable legal framework for multi-faceted cooperation. Regarding trade, since 2010, the two-way trade between Viet Nam and the Middle Eastern-Africa has multiplied by 3.5 times, from US$5 billion to US$18 billion. Foreign investments of businesses from both sides have grown considerably, reaching over US$5.5 billion. Notable investments include Viet Nam’s telecommunication projects in African countries, which provide locals with greater access to telecommunication services and expand opportunities for global digital connectivity. Cooperation in agriculture, energy, transportation, labor and exchange of experts are the highlights of Viet Nam’s collaboration with countries in the region. These efforts have contributed to the socio-economic development of Viet Nam and of many African and Middle Eastern countries, resulting in practical benefits for the people.

After 30 years of tirelessly carrying out “Doi Moi” reforms, Viet Nam has transformed from a poor and underdeveloped  into a middle-income  country with a population of nearly 100 million. Average economic growth throughout this period approximated 7% per year, surpassing the regional and global average. Our trade turnover has consistently grown at a double-digit pace, peaking at a record of over US$ 480 billion in 2018. To date, Viet Nam has attracted US$ 340 billion of FDI from 130 economies. We have also actively engaged in international economies integration through a network of 16 FTAs, including important new-generation FTAs such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU – Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Ladies and gentlemen,

Viet Nam is a responsible economic partner of many Middle Eastern and African countries politically and economically. We have been enjoying excellent political relationship. However, the results of our economic cooperation have not been commensurate with our excellent political relations, our economic potentials and the aspirations of our leaders and peoples. Trade with the Middle East and Africa, a vast area of 36 million km2 comprised of 70 countries and home to 1.6 billion people, only accounted for 3.5% of Viet Nam’s total trade turnover of US$ 480 billion. This figure is quite modest in consideration of the growth rate and scale of our economies and our populations. There remains much to be done, with greater efficacy and determination.

We believe that cooperation should go beyond trade in order to promote experience sharing and bolster the development of each side’s areas of competitive advantage. These efforts are aimed at ensuring food security, reducing poverty, and elevating the value chains, which in turn will directly benefit our manufacturers, enterprises and peoples. In this spirit, many Vietnamese businesses, such as Viettel, T&T, and Lavigroup, have always prioritized cooperation for mutual development with the local communities in the Middle East and Africa.

Doubtlessly, Viet Nam and the Middle East and Africa can harness the potential of economic cooperation in a range of diverse areas, notably trade, telecommunication and agriculture.

With this, may I announce that the Conference “Meet Ambassadors from the Middle-East and Africa 2019” is now commenced. I wish our Conference every success.

Thank you./.