The recent visits of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to Kazakhstan, Algeria, Portugal and Bulgaria have helped multilateral economic links and bilateral collaborations, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bui Thanh Son, has told the press.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (L) and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev (Photo: VNA)

He pointed to the free trade agreement (FTA) struck between Viet Nam and the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) in Kazakhstan, the second of its kind signed in May following a similar agreement with the Republic of Korea.

In Kazakhstan, the two countries signed new agreements and cooperation programmes on oil and gas and judiciary exchanges, the deputy minister noted.

While the PM’s visit to Kazakhstan was meant to forge multi-lateral economic links, the next tours to Algeria, Portugal and Bulgaria constituted a new milestone altogether in their relationship with the Southeast Asian country.

Specifically, Viet Nam and Algeria aim to increase two-way trade from the current level of 250 million USD to 1 billion USD in the coming years, and committed to support each other in oil and gas and agriculture. The two nations inked agreements on culture, health and tourism.

Portugal and Viet Nam look to raise bilateral trade from 360 million USD to 1 billion USD, and defined marine economy and tourism as potential fields for stronger cooperation.

Meanwhile, Viet Nam and Bulgaria have put in place a number of measures to implementing the new economic cooperation model. Bulgaria considers Viet Nam a key partner in its international development cooperation plan in 2015.

(Source: VNA)