(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim and Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi in Riyadh on Thursday, as part of his trip to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - Gulf Cooperation Council (ASEAN - GCC) Summit and visit to Saudi Arabia.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al Ibrahim (Photo: VNA) |
Talking to Minister of Economy and Planning Al-Ibrahim, Chinh said the Vietnam-Saudi Arabia cooperation is developing well and holds great potential for further expansion. He proposed the two countries strengthen their economic connectivity, cooperate in organizing trade-investment promotion activities, particularly in energy and finance-banking, and boost teamwork in such new areas as the production and processing of Halal products and digital transformation.
The Vietnamese Government leader suggested both sides facilitate market access for each other's strong products and work closely to address issues related to the export of Vietnam's aquatic products to Saudi Arabia. He also called for increased bilateral exchanges, cultural interactions, knowledge sharing, and transportation and aviation connectivity.
The Saudi Arabian minister pledged to collaborate with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Saudi Arabian co-chair of the Saudi Arabia-Vietnam Joint Government Committee, in order to deepen economic cooperation with Vietnam.
The two countries should take advantage of each other's markets to reach other regional markets, he said.
Al-Ibrahim also expressed his wish to visit Vietnam in the near future to complete the negotiation and signing of cooperation agreements with Vietnamese partners.
To achieve the aforementioned goals, the two sides agreed to study the establishment of joint working groups for economic affairs and to hold the 5th meeting of the Joint Government Committee soon.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Saudi Arabia's Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi (Photo: VNA) |
At the meeting with the Saudi Arabian Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, PM Chinh lauded positive developments in the nations’ ties and highlighted labor as a crucial area of their bilateral cooperation, especially considering Saudi Arabia's implementation of extensive urban and infrastructure projects under its Vision 2030.
To step up collaboration in this field, Chinh recommended the sides increase exchanges between their labor management agencies, promote collaboration in training, and connect their labor markets. Also important is the enhancement of legal frameworks for labor cooperation serving mutual support in the supply of high-quality workforce for national development, he noted.
For his part, Al Rajhi said Saudi Arabia holds ambitious goals in this area, including a plan to admit 10 million more foreign workers, particularly in the sectors of industrial production, energy, healthcare, and tourism.
The minister spoke highly of the quality of Vietnam's labor force, especially skilled workers, and underscored the enormous potential for bilateral collaboration in this field. He hoped both sides will join hands to promptly resolve current challenges in labor cooperation, particularly concerning the legal framework, training cooperation, and the establishment of effective recruitment mechanisms, so as to bring more Vietnamese workers to Saudi Arabia in the near future.