Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang’s 3-day state visit to Bangladesh looks to intensify trade and investment promotion, and create favourable conditions for businesses between the two countries to achieve a two-way trade goal of 1 billion USD, according to the newspaper "Daily Star".

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang (Source: VNA)

The Bangladeshi newspaper quoted a high official at the foreign ministry as saying that the bilateral trade volume between Bangladesh and Viet Nam was increasing.

On its article published on 28 February ahead of President Tran Dai Quang’s visit, which will start on 4 March, the paper said “Bangladesh and Viet Nam are enjoying economic cooperation, with trade reaching 609 million USD in 2016 from only 93 million USD in 2009. Bangladesh exports pharmaceuticals, raw materials for garments and machinery to Viet Nam, while Viet Nam's major exports to Bangladesh include iron, steel, fibre, textiles, plastics, rubber and electronics.”

It went on that “Dhaka is eager to connect itself with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose members are Viet Nam, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. It will seek support from Ha Noi for its regional integration.”

According to the paper, the diplomatic circle in Dhaka consider the upcoming visit significant as it will be able to avail the opportunity to seek support from Viet Nam for a durable solution to the Rohingya crisis.

“The two countries are likely to sign about half a dozen agreements and memorandums of understanding for promotion of trade, investment, connectivity and cooperation during the visit,” it said.

President Quang will visit Dhaka at the invitation of his Bangladeshi counterpart Abdul Hamid.  He will fly in Dhaka from New Delhi after a three-day visit to India.

President Hamid visited Viet Nam in August 2015, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in November 2015 and Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in July 2017.

The paper quoted diplomatic sources as saying that ahead of Quang's visit, both the sides reached a consensus that Bangladesh and Viet Nam should intensify experience sharing, help each other in gender equality and poverty reduction, and cooperate in the fields of defence, aquaculture, education-training, culture and tourism.

Some 100 business representatives from top Viet Nam companies will accompany the Vietnamese president and interact with their Bangladesh counterparts and explore trade and investment potentials in Bangladesh.

A business forum will be held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on March 6.

Bangladesh and Viet Nam established diplomatic relations on 17 February, 1973. Since then, the friendship and cooperation between the two states have been enhanced in a wide range of areas, especially economy and trade.

(Source: VNA)