Vietnam and Iran officials have agreed to take practical measures to pave the way for trade expansion that would help spur economic development in both countries.
“Vietnam has great potential that can be used to help increase the level of trade relations between the two countries,” Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said in a meeting with the chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, in Hanoi on Monday, ICANA reported.
“We can prepare the grounds for investment by Vietnam in the oil and gas sectors,” he said, adding that closer cooperation in the fields of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals would benefit the two peoples.
“Vietnam has made great strides in agriculture and Iran can benefit from the achievements,” Larijani said, expressing the readiness of the Majlis to help facilitate bilateral trade and investment, particularly through the joint parliamentary committee.
He appreciated the joint efforts toward the development of the tourism sector, noting that cultural relations with other countries is of great importance to Iran.
Support for Nuclear Deal
The senior Vietnamese politician said her country is keen to deepen its cooperation with Iran in various fields.
“We understand the issues facing Iran—including the problems created by economic sanctions and regional instability that affects Iran to some extent—and are ready to work with Iran,” Ngan said.
She added that Hanoi supports the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was signed between Iran and six world powers—the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China and Germany.
The chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam said banking hurdles should be cleared so that the volume of bilateral trade can increase.
Ngan noted that the untapped potential in the areas of telecommunications and information technology should be utilized as enhanced ties in these areas would further contribute to economic growth.
She called on Iranian investors to join development projects in her country, which enjoys “political and social stability”.
Syrian Strikes
The two sides discussed the recent US-led airstrikes against Syria, saying that all countries should respect the United Nations Charter and resolve issues through political means, including dialogue between the relevant parties.
In the biggest intervention yet in the Syrian conflict by western powers, US, British and French forces attacked the war-ravaged Arab country early on Saturday in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack by government forces a week earlier—a claim dismissed by Damascus and its allies Russia and Iran.
The strikes marked the second time that US President Donald Trump has attacked Syria. The White House had sought to create a response that would be more robust than the attack in April 2017, when the US fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase.
Larijani met with several senior Vietnamese officials and was scheduled to travel to Sri Lanka on the second leg of his trip.
