Aung San Suu Kyi’s official visit expected to boost VN-Myanmar ties
VGP - Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s official visit to Viet Nam from April 19-20 is expected to strengthen bilateral ties and tighten the two nations’ comprehensive cooperative partnership.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the 30th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines on April 28, 2017. Photo: VGP
Traditional relationship enhanced
The first official visit to Viet Nam by Myanmar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the President’s Office Aung San Suu Kyi is made at the invitation of Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Viet Nam and Myanmar set up diplomatic relations in 1975. The two nations elevated their ties to a comprehensive cooperative partnership during a State visit to Myanmar by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in August 2017.
The two sides have supported each other at sub-regional, regional and international forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN, Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Viet Nam cooperation, Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) and the Greater Mekong Sub-region.
Enhancing cooperation in all fields for mutual benefits
Economic, trade and investment ties have been maintained 12 prioritized areas, including agriculture, fisheries, finance-banking, aviation, telecommunications, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, mining, power device production and automobile manufacturing and assembly, construction, investment and trade.
The two-way trade value hit US$828.3 million in 2017, up 51% from 2016. Viet Nam is the 7th biggest foreign investor in Myanmar with 70 projects worth nearly US$2 billion.
Viet Nam had nearly 170 trade representatives in Myanmar in forms of representative offices, company’s branches, joint-stock companies and companies with 100% capital invested by Viet Nam.
The two countries have regularly held meetings of the joint committee on bilateral cooperation and the joint sub-committee on trade. Trade fairs have also been held in each country to introduce products and attract investors.
Based on a defense cooperation agreement signed in 2011, the two armies have sped up all-level delegation exchanges and boosted cooperation in border management, and illegal migration and smuggling prevention.
By Hoang Ha
