(VNF) - Mozambique’s Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario has called upon Vietnamese businesses to engage more in trade, oil and gas, marine transport, and processing farm produce and seafood to soon realise the trade target set by the two countries’ leaders.

Rosario, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam for the first time from July 31^st to August 3^rd, made the appeal during his talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on August 1^st.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) greets his Mozambican counterpart Carlos Agostinho do Rosario in Hanoi. (Source: VGP)

The host described the visit as an important milestone in the bilateral relations after the visit to Mozambique by former President Truong Tan Sang in March 2016.

The two Government leaders expressed their satisfaction at the growing traditional friendship between Vietnam and Mozambique.

Regarding political ties, they agreed to maintain delegation exchanges at all levels while coordinating and supporting each other at international forums.

They discussed challenges in security, politics and economics along with regional and global issues of mutual concerns.

The two sides pledged to contribute to the maintenance of peace and cooperation in the region and beyond on the basis of respecting international law and addressing any disputes via peaceful means and in line with international law.

PM Phuc proposed Mozambique support Vietnam to become a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure and the Director-General of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in the 2017-2021 tenure.

Pertaining to trade, investment and development cooperation, the PMs expressed their pleasure at the effective operation of Movitel, a joint venture between Vietnam’s military-run telecom group Viettel and Mozambique’s investment company SPI, as well as Vietnam’s food crop development research cooperation project in Mozambique.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Mozambique’s Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario meet with the press after their talks. (Photo: VNA)

Mozambique is expected to become a leading partner of Vietnam in southern Sahara, Africa, while Vietnam will serve as a bridge to connect Mozambique with the Southeast Asian region.

Vietnam agreed to share more development experience with Mozambique in the fields of natural disaster prevention, weather forecast, climate change adaptation, education-training, expert exchanges, and security-defense.

The Southeast Asian country asked Mozambique to make it easier for Vietnamese businesses to open a bonded warehouse, develop goods distribution channels, and improve the legal framework for foreign investors.

After the talks, the PMs witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation to protect and preserve wild flora and fauna and the initialling of an agreement on aviation transport services.

The two PMs witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. (Photo: VGP)

Mozambique is a country in Southeast Africa. Over the past years, the Mozambican government has actively called for foreign investment, strengthening the upgrade of infrastructure, promoting internal power in national construction, focusing on reducing poverty and ensuring food security. Thereby, Mozambique has attained significant achievements in its economic reforms, reporting a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 3.6 per cent in 2016.

The country has seen a lot of economic flourishes this year, with increasing agricultural outputs, strengthened production and exports, and stabilised domestic currency. Other nations have begun to resume their official development assistance (ODA) sponsorship for Mozambique, while foreign investment in the country rose sharply, primarily in the fields of gas and mining. Mozambique’s GDP growth in 2017 is predicted to reach 4.5 per cent. The Southeast African country has been rated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a nation with the fastest economic development outlook in the Southern Sahara region.

After the armed conflict between the Government, led by the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO), and the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) opposition party concluded in May 2017, FRELIMO has continued promoting its role as a ruling party on the national scale, guiding the country through the difficult phase. As a member of many international organisations, Mozambique has actively participated in addressing regional issues, whilst struggling to protect the legitimate interests of African countries as well as developing ones.

Vietnam is happy to see that the traditional friendly relations between Vietnam and Mozambique have been consistently growing across various spheres, relating to politics, economics, trade, education and culture. Since establishing their diplomatic ties on June 25^th, 1975, both countries have supported each other in past struggles for national independence as well as the current causes of national construction and economic development in each nation. Vietnam reopened its embassy in Mozambique in 2009, while Mozambique opened its embassy in Hanoi in August 2011.

Vietnam and Mozambique have signed many agreements and cooperation deals in the fields of economics, trade, investment, culture, education, science and technology. Two-way trade turnover increased three times, from USD 13.83 million in 2006 to USD 45.35 million in 2010. The figure was USD 101 million in 2016, with Vietnam exporting over USD 72.5 million worth of commodities to the African country./.

VNF