Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin shared the wish to continue promoting the close political ties between Vietnam and Ukraine during their talks in Hanoi on September 6^th.

Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. (Photo: VNA)

The two sides agreed to increase the exchange of visits, particularly those at the high level, as well as work closely together at multilateral forums.

Discussing specific measures to push forward economic, trade, education-training, labour, culture, sports and tourism ties, they noted with pleasure that two-way trade has grown continuously since 2016, with a 12 per cent rise in 2016 to USD 264.2 million and a 19.1 per cent increase year-on-year in the first seven months of 2017.

Host and guest agreed to collaborate with the two countries’ agencies concerned to successfully hold the 14^th meeting of the Vietnam – Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic-Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation slated for this October in Kiev.

Deputy Prime Minister Minh asked the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and related agencies to continue assisting Vietnamese nationals residing in the country.

The two sides discussed simplifying immigration procedures for the two countries’ citizens to increase bilateral exchanges.

Concluding the talks, the two officials signed a consultation plan for 2018-2019 between the two foreign ministries and witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between Vietnamese and Ukrainian justice ministries and a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine.

The two sides also issued a communiqué on the outcomes of the Ukrainian FM’s visit to Vietnam from September 4^th-6^th./.

VNF/VNA