Vietnam to Expand Trade, Energy Ties with Venezuela
President Nguyen Minh Triet and a high-ranking delegation Nov 19 arrived in Caracas to start the first official visit to boost trade and energy cooperation.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, Ambassador to Vietnam Jorge Uzcategui welcomed Triet at the airport of Maquetia Simon Bolivar.
Triet is slated to hold talks with Hugo Chavez to discuss measures to boost bilateral cooperation, particularly in oil and gas field and trade.
The Vietnamese president's visit to the Latin American country is finalization of the cooperation pacts between the two countries. However, bilateral trade was modest at US$11.7 million in 2007, far reaching the potentials of the both sides.
In the first half, the bilateral trade hit US$10.1 million. Vietnam exports food, foodstuff, agricultural machinery, electric commodities, electronics, footwear, apparels.
Venezuela officials said they want to deepen cooperation with Vietnam in oil and gas, bauxite exploitation, rice cultivation, herbal medicines and aquatic production.
During the first round of inter-government committee held in Venezuela n mid-August this year, Vietnamese and Venezuela firms signed a number deals of oil and gas projects worth billions dollars.
Party Chief Manh visited Venezuela in May of 2007. Hugo Chavez visited Vietnam in 2006. (VNA, www.chinhphu.vn)
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