Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hailed the development of bilateral ties while receiving Vice President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo in Hanoi on December 5.
The PM suggested deepening bilateral ties in a substantive and effective manner via facilitating visits to raise mutual understanding and trust, and enhance cooperation opportunities in fields that the two countries could supplement each other, especially in economy.
Hailing two-way trade of over 500 million USD as an encouraging result, Chinh said both sides should further improve economic ties to match their fine political relations.
He suggested that both sides have stronger determination to create balance in trade via creating favourable conditions for their exports and imports, including Vietnam’s agro-fisheries, establish and launch trade cooperation mechanisms, contributing to ensuring food security, and diversifying markets and supply chains.
Vietnam is ready to serve as a bridge promoting cooperation between ASEAN and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), he said.
The host proposed making agriculture a key cooperation area between both sides; enhancing joint work in digital transformation, start-ups and innovation, green transition, renewable energy, circular economy, national defence-security, oil and gas, poverty reduction, health care, education-training, culture-sports-tourism, people-to-people exchange; and launching of a direct flight service.
Osinbajo, for his part, hailed Vietnam as a strategic important partner and wished to expand economic cooperation with the country.
Agreeing with the host’s proposal, he said Nigeria also wants to share experience with Vietnam in digital economy, energy industry, electric vehicles and solar power.
He vowed to further reinforce all-around ties between both nations and connect coordination between ECOWAS and Vietnam.
On regional and global issues, host and guest underscored the importance of the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law.