Vanuatu Republic Prime Minister Joe Natuman's forthcoming visit to Vietnam aims to promote bilateral cooperation relations in potential fields and discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern
Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Joe Natuman and his spouse are to pay an official visit to Vietnam from October 5-9 at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1982, Vietnam and Vanuatu have maintained a fine political relationship and have exchanged a significant number of high level visits.
The most notable visits included one by Prime Minister Serge Vohor to Vietnam in 1997 to attend the Francophone summit, a second by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade George Andre Wells in 2007, and a third by Foreign Minister Nguyen Phu Binh to Vanuatu in 2007.
Due to huge geographic distances, bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has not developed to any great extent as of yet. The two-way trade turnover just hit more than US$2 million in 2011, of which Vietnamese exports of meat, cereal, seafood and ceramic products made up nearly US$1.9 million.
Thanks to many similarities, particularly in agricultural and fisheries sectors, Vanuatu wants to strengthen friendship and cooperation ties with Vietnam.
Around 500 Vietnamese citizens are currently residing in Vanuatu – a country with only a small 267,000 population. The Vietnamese community is the second largest foreign community in the country. Many Vietnamese nations gain success there and have made significant contributions to the development of the residing country.
The two countries have also cooperated at some international forums, like the United Nations and Francophone. In June 2014, Vanuatu recognized Vietnam’s market economy.
(Source VOV)