PM receives Timor Leste Foreign Minister

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc  receives Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Dionisio Babo Soares, Ha Noi, June 10, 2019

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The PM made the statement during his reception for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Dionisio Babo Soares in Ha Noi on June 10.

He suggested the two countries increase the exchange of high-level delegations and set up mechanisms to enhance the efficiency of bilateral trade and investment ties, which, he said, still remain modest and have yet to meet potentials of both sides.

In turn, Dionisio Babo Soares said that he is happy to revisit Viet Nam and the two countries’ ties have been growing, but their trade value remains modest at over US$2 million, noting measures are being sought for the issue.

He briefed his host on the outcomes of his talks with Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, stating that his visit aimed to strengthen Viet Nam-Timor Leste cooperation across various fields, as well as coordination between the two sides at multilateral forums.

He congratulated Viet Nam on its socio-economic and diplomatic achievements, especially the country’s freshly-won non-permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council with a record high number of positive votes.

PM Phuc spoke highly of the outcomes of the talks between the Timor Leste minister and Minh, recommending that the two countries promptly establish and implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms to facilitate exchanges between their ministries and agencies concerned.

Viet Nam and Timor Leste should consider signing new agreements or extending bilateral deals to provide a foundation for cooperation, including a bilateral trade agreement and an investment protection agreement, the leader said.

He expressed his hopes that Timor Leste would continue assisting the Vietnamese community and businesses there to integrate into the local society and further contribute to Timor Leste’s development as well as relations between the two countries.

By Vien Nhu