(VOVworld)- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Hanoi on Thursday.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (Source: VNA)

In his address, Prime Minister Phuc said Vietnam treasured the mutually-beneficial ties with Iran expressing his belief that President Hassan Rouhani ’s visit will open up a new chapter in the two countries’ relations. PM Phuc lauded the outcomes of the two Presidents’ talks earlier in the day and agreements reached during the visit so far, and pledged to lead the Government in implementing the agreements, towards the goal of lifting bilateral trade turnover to 2 billion USD. The PM suggested both sides focus on facilitating trade activities. The PM urged stronger cooperation in IT and telecommunications, asking the Iranian Government to facilitate the operation of Vietnamese telecom companies in Iran.  He also requested further support from the Iranian side for PetroVietnam in resuming oil exploration at the Danan oil block in Iran. Hassan Rouhani stressed that his ongoing visit demonstrates the strong will of Iranian leaders to enhance relations with Vietnam. The President said Iran wants to work with Vietnam in realizing agreements secured by the two countries’ inter-governmental committee, particularly in the fields of energy, oil and gas, IT and agriculture. He agreed with his host on facilitating the connectivity of Vietnamese and Iranian businesses, adding that Iran was willing to supply Vietnam with construction materials and work on cooperative projects to build thermo-power plants, water supply systems, roads and bridges. He also suggested forming stronger connections through cultural exchanges, tourism and education, stating that more scholarships would be offered to Vietnamese students.