Abuja: President Bola Tinubu has stated that Nigeria is committed to deepening its ties with Vietnam, particularly in trade, investment, energy, mining, resource sustainability, infrastructure, and climate change action.
Tinubu remarked in a statement issued by Mr Bui Quoc Hung, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Nigeria, in Abuja on Monday.
The statement said that the President spoke at a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who was on an official visit to Nigeria to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
Tinubu stated that Vietnam had been a key partner of Nigeria in Southeast Asia, which underscored his eagerness to strengthen the bonds between them.
He, however, emphasised the importance of fostering economic, trade, and investment ties, given the steady growth observed in their bilateral trade exchanges.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Chinh, who extended his country’s President Luong Cuong’s invitation to Tinubu to officially visit Vietnam, expressed appreciation for the warm welcome accorded to him.
He conveyed Vietnam’s eagerness to strengthen bilateral collaboration while acknowledging the two countries’ long-standing friendly relations, which date back to 1976 when they established diplomatic ties.
The statement, however, said that both leaders reached an agreement which included a commitment to boost bilateral trade and explore new avenues for collaboration, particularly in sustainable resource utilisation and climate change mitigation efforts.
According to the statement, Chinh also had a meeting with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Prof. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian economist who has played a role in advancing free trade and economic progress in Africa.