Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang and Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs of Kuwait Samee 🍌Essa Johar Hayat co-chaired the fourth political consultation between the two foreign ministries in Hanoi on December 13.

Hang congratulated Kuwait on its upcoming presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2025, a testament to the country's growing stature in the region. She reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to fostering its friendship and cooperation with Kuwait, the first Gulf nation to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1976, shortly after its national reunification. In response, Hayat acknowledged the regular mutual support at international forums and organisations and expressed the Kuwaiti Government’s wish to consolidate political trust and create breakthroughs in bilateral ties across various sectors. Recognising ample potential to improve the effectiveness of their collaboration, both sides agreed on measures to strengthen cooperation in the coming time, with priority given to the exchange of delegations at all levels as well as people-to-people exchanges, particularly among the youth. The guest also handed over a letter from Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya inviting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son to visit Kuwait at a mutually convenient time to further consolidate bilateral ties. In a bid to boost trade, Hang proposed enhancing cooperation in sharing expertise, mutual recognition, and investment in Halal product production, aiming to increase Vietnam's exports to Kuwait and the broader Gulf region. Both sides agreed to work closely to draw investment, particularly from the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), into Vietnam. They also discussed ways to improve the efficiency of the Nghi Son refinery project, ensuring it continues to contribute positively to both countries’ socio-economic development. The discussions extended to other promising areas such as food security, tourism, labour and aviation, with both sides pledging to expedite negotiations and finalise documents to refine the legal framework for bilateral cooperation. Hang suggested that Kuwait consider increasing scholarships for Vietnamese students and collaborate closely with Vietnam to effectively deploy and expand ODA cooperation projects in the future. Host and guest also discussed global and regional issues of mutual interest, such as the East Sea and the Middle East. Regarding cooperation at multilateral forums, they vowed to continue supporting each other at international and regional organisations, especially within the frameworks of the United Nations, ASEAN, GCC, and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in both regions and the world at large./.