Santo Domingo. – President Luis Abinader and the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, led this Wednesday the signing of two memoranda of understanding for the establishment of a joint council on trade promotion, technical cooperation and promoting exchanges academics and professionals.
The Dominican and Vietnamese leaders served as witnesses to the signing of the agreements that confirm the objective of strengthening bilateral ties and making closer contacts with the business sector and in other aspects.
Also read: Abinader receives the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh
The first memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the government of the Dominican Republic for the establishment of a joint council on trade promotion and technical cooperation was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Álvarez and the Minister of Vietnam Planning and Investment, Nguyen Chi Dung. Its purpose is to establish a cooperation framework and facilitate collaboration between the parties through a Joint Council on matters of common interest for the promotion of trade and technical cooperation between the parties.
While the second of the agreements on Cooperation between the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the Institute of Higher Education in Diplomatic and Consular Training of the Dominican Republic (INESDYC), was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Álvarez and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Pham Thanh Binh. With this agreement, both governments express their interest in promoting friendly relations, as well as encouraging academic and professional exchanges, carrying out exchange visits of officials, academics, experts and students, reciprocal access to digital resources, sharing experiences in teaching and research between both.
The signing of the Memorandums of Understanding that took place in the Ambassadors’ Hall of the National Palace took place within the framework of the official visit to the country of the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh.
Government strategic objective: establish better relations with Vietnam
Addressing a few words to those present, President Abinader thanked the Prime Minister of Vietnam for the presence with his delegation and noted that it has been a strategic objective of the Dominican government since he assumed the presidency in August 2020, “to establish better relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”, since they had many common objectives; At the same time, the economies of both nations and the industries were complementary in many aspects.
The Dominican president also highlighted that since 2021 the relations between both nations have been advancing and as an example of this he recalled that last year the Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz, visited this nation to strengthen the collaboration on technical aspects of agriculture, especially. in attention to the problem that arose in the country of African Swine Fever due to the advances of a vaccine that Vietnam has and is developing.
Likewise, he said that they are collaborating in other aspects and that the Prime Minister’s visit will multiply cooperation, as well as the objectives in various strategic companies for the good of both nations. He expressed his desire to continue advancing relations between the Dominican Republic and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the good of both peoples.
«We have talked during the bilateral meeting today about cooperation, both in the area of defense, telecommunications, also in the area of oil exploitation and also in the area of tourism, that Vietnam also has a lot of potential for tourism development, just like Vietnam. “You know that we represent and our tourism development that this year we expect more than 11 million visitors,” said the head of state.
Vietnam’s first high-level visit to the Dominican Republic
For his part, the Prime Minister of Vietnam thanked President Abinader for his sincere words and for the ties between both countries in recent times and highlighted that this is Vietnam’s first high-level visit to the Dominican Republic, after 20 years of establishing diplomatic relations. “You can say it is a historic moment.”
He expressed his admiration for President Abinader’s way of working, while highlighting his responsibility, commitment and saying that he will learn from his methods to promote and materialize concrete agreements for the benefit of both peoples. “We greatly admire Mr. President’s way of working, that if it is said it is done, if it is committed it is implemented and implemented effectively, with concrete and palpable results.”
Prime Minister Minh Chinh expressed his full conviction that this visit will strengthen the development of bilateral relations between both countries, which he said share many similarities and ideals for the struggles of National Independence, to bring happiness and prosperity to the people, in both economies. that are complementary and drive each other for development.
In addition, he highlighted that they have in common culture, long-standing identity, a very important geoeconomic position in Latin America and Southeast Asia, high political trust, good appreciation of friendship, solidarity, sincere ties, and trust between both nations. and also the aspiration to build a strong, prosperous and happy country.
These similarities, he considered, constitute the basis for promoting bilateral relations and taking them to a new level in the near future. “We are going to move to a new stage of development of bilateral relations, I say that it is a moment of historic nature.”
The Vietnamese Prime Minister said that he spoke with President Abinader about the negotiation of agreements to establish the legal basis to promote full cooperation between both countries in other areas such as a free trade agreement, promotion and protection of investments, cooperation in matters of culture, tourism, education and exchange of peoples and the elimination of visas to create ease of mobility for investment, thus creating optimal conditions for both nations to continue exchanges.
He communicated that there are many potential areas for other agreements, citing as examples the transformation and the digital economy, telecommunications. Additionally, on energy issues, oil, wind and solar energy, gas, agriculture, livestock, vaccine production, among others.
Minh Chinh extended an invitation on behalf of the entire Vietnamese government to President Abinader on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries and added that during this visit new bilateral agreements will be announced for greater depth and effectiveness.
Participating in the official visit of the Prime Minister of Vietnam to the Dominican Republic were the ministers of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza; of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs, Víctor -Ito- Bisonó; of Agriculture, Limber Cruz; of Housing and Buildings, Carlos Bonilla; of Energy and Mines, Joel Santos; the president of the Board of Directors of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), Guido Gómez Mazara; the Minister for Regional Integration Policies of the Dominican Republic, Miguel Mejía and the executive director of Prodominicana, Biviana Riveiro.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese delegation is made up of Prime Minister Minh Chinh’s wife, Le Thi Bich Tran; In addition, the Ministers of Planning and Investment, Nguyen Chi Dung; the head of the Government Office, Tran Van Son; of Construction, Nguyen Thanh Nghi; of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Dao Ngoc Dung and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pham Thanh Binh.
