VN, Mozambique move to heighten economic and trade relations

President Aramando Emilio Guebuza and Deputy PM Nguyễn Sinh Hùng at the Forum - Photo: VNGOVNet

The Forum was dubbed a good chance for the Vietnamese and Mozambican enterprises to meet and exchange information as well as for the two countries to popularize their images and introduce their investment policies. Vietnamese enterprises are working to penetrate in the African market in general and Mozambique in particular. Vietnam and Mozambique have signed a trade agreement serving as a crucial legal framework; the two countries have possibilities to cooperate in agriculture, education and training, healthcare, and aquaculture. However, the bilateral economic and trade relations remain modest though the two countries are in a quite good position to promote this  cooperation across the board. This requires the two Governments, business and peoples to contemplate and work out ways to fulfill their potentialities.

At the Forum, the Mozambican President asserted that a successful forum will lead to better economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Addressing the Forum, Vietnamese Standing Deputy PM Nguyễn Sinh Hùng said that, by attracting more Mozambican enterprises into Vietnam, the bilateral economic and trade cooperation will be furthered. He insisted that Vietnam is working to create a legal framework and investment environment conducive to foreign investors. Apart from boosting their direct trade, Vietnam and Mozambique should assist each other in expanding their export markets to other countries in Asia and Africa. In this line, Vietnam is willing to be an entrepot for Mozambican commodities to enter Southeast Asian countries. Vietnam wishes Mozambique to do the same for Vietnamese goods to penetrate into southern Africa.

To bring the bilateral economic and trade cooperation to a new height, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Trade Đỗ Như Đính raised three solutions: to further the exchange of delegations at all echelons; to establish timely and effective information channels for enterprises of the two countries; and to encourage enterprises to take part in fairs and exhibitions held in the two countries.

In 2005, Vietnam's rice export to Mozambique gained US$ 32.55 million; import was valued at US$ 3.24 million. For the first nine months of 2006, these figures were US$ 9.03 million and US$ 2.04 million respectively, considerably decreasing against the same period of the previous year. Vietnam’s major exports to Mozambique include rice, textiles and garments. While the country imports from Mozambique cotton, wooden products, cashew nuts, fabrics, yarns and cigarette materials.

By Hoàng Nguyên