Messahel: “My visit to Vietnam aims at reinforcing bilateral relations”
APS : Friday, 13 July 2018
ALGIERS- Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel said that his official visit to Vietnam on Friday and Saturday aimed at reinforcing the bilateral relations and the traditions of regular consultation between the two countries.
The foreign minister, on an official visit to Vietnam, delivered a message of friendship and esteem from President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to his Vietnamese counterpart Trần Đại Quang
“This visit comes within the framework of strengthening the bilateral relations and the traditions of regular consultation between the two countries and represents an opportunity to review the state of bilateral cooperation, particularly in its economic, trade, economic and investment aspects, and define with the Vietnamese partners the ways to develop it further,” said Messahel in an interview with the Vietnamese news agency.
“My visit to Vietnam is of particular importance, given the determination of our two Presidents, Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Trần Đại Quang, to bring bilateral relations to a level that meets the aspirations of both peoples,” added Messahel, adding that Algeria and Vietnam “maintain historical relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation, built during their struggles for freedom and independence.”
In 2017, the two countries celebrated in 2017 the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations.
Vietnam “is among the first countries to officially recognize the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic, in 1958, and Algeria, grateful and faithful to its principles and friends, has supported Vietnam during its war for independence and in its post-war reconstruction effort,” reminded Messahel
On a question about the state of the current cooperation between the two countries and its prospects, Messahel noted that “if at the political level, the relations are excellent, it is clear that at the economic one, much remains to be done,” saying that trade between the two countries “was only around USD$360 million in 2017, mainly composed of Vietnamese exports to Algeria.”
“In terms of investments, only the petroleum company PETROVIETNAM is operating” in Algeria, he said, calling for the establishment of economic and partnership relations in line with the potential of both countries and their emerging economies.”
For the minister, the two countries “can certainly do more and better to achieve this goal.”
The 11th session of the Algerian-Vietnamese Joint Commission for Cooperation met in November 2017 in Algiers and allowed to give a fresh impetus to the bilateral cooperation by opening up new promising prospects.”
Subsequently, “the both countries are set to implement the commitments made during this meeting and create the appropriate conditions to allow the substantial strengthening of bilateral cooperation, trade and investment,” he stressed.
With regard to the Algerian-Vietnamese cooperation in regional and international fora, Messahel said that Algeria is “very satisfied” with the quality of dialogue and coordination of actions both countries in international fora, chiefly in the Non-Aligned Movement.
“On many international issues, Algeria and Vietnam have similar positions, based on the rule of international law and respect for the UN Charter, and the principles that flow from them, such as people to self-determination, the resolution of conflicts by peaceful and diplomatic means and the non-interference in the internal affairs of other States,” he concluded
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