Turkish PM concludes Vietnam trip

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's meetings in the capital Hanoi aimed to strengthen ties between Turkey and Vietnam in the fields of economic investment, energy, food processing, construction and machinery.

Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) welcomes his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim to Vietnam at a ceremony in Hanoi, August 23, 2017.
Reuters

Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) welcomes his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim to Vietnam at a ceremony in Hanoi, August 23, 2017.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Thursday concluded his two-day visit to Vietnam.

Yildirim is the first Turkish prime minister to visit Vietnam since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1978.

"Our country will maintain its strategy to increase its trade and economic effectiveness in the Far East, mainly in the Asian market," the Turkish premier told the Vietnam-Turkey Business Forum in Hanoi on Thursday.

Yildirim's visit was aimed at strengthening ties in the fields of economic investment, energy, food processing, construction and machinery.

TRT World spoke with Michael Tatarski in Ho Chi Minh City.

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Late but a good start

Yildirim has described his official visit to Vietnam as “late but a good start” in an interview with local media.

The prime minister on Thursday told the Vietnam News Agency that the two countries "have comparative advantages to do fruitful things together."

On trade, Yildirim said Turkey was ready to start negotiating a free-trade agreement and had already decided upon double taxation avoidance and trade facilitation with Vietnam.

He also said daily flights between Turkey and Vietnam had facilitated travel, and recommended that easing visa restrictions could help activities thrive.

On foreign diplomacy, Yildirim said the countries were working together in various bilateral and international areas, adding that Turkey supports Vietnam’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2020-2021.

Ankara also asked Vietnam to back Turkey’s effort to become a member of UNESCO's Executive Board for the 2017-2021 term.

Turkey is also willing to offer scholarships for Vietnamese students and take part in student exchange programs, Yildirim added.

"Turkey is also a developing and dynamic country like Vietnam, so there are similarities between the two countries," Yildirim said, adding his visit will usher in a "new era" in bilateral relations.

TRT World's Rahul Radhakrishnan reports.

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Vietnam welcomes visit

"We have conducted very fruitful negotiations with the prime minister and his delegation in which we addressed and evaluated our opportunities for cooperation in all areas, from transportation to education, maritime to trade and defence to business," he said.

"We have made necessary arrangements for the prevention of double taxation, mutual encouragement and facilitation of investments and we will continue to work on their implementation," he added.

Yildirim's Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the Turkish prime minister's visit.

"We have confirmed that the two countries are like-minded on the developments of business associations in various fields," he said. 

"I believe that business and investment relations between Vietnam and Turkey will further develop." 

Three agreements on economy, customs and standards were signed between the two countries during Yildirim's visit.

At the seventh meeting of the Vietnam-Turkey Joint Committee on economic and trade cooperation in Hanoi in July this year, the two countries agreed to aim to raise bilateral trade to $4 billion by 2020.

Last year, two-way trade reached $1.51 billion, with Vietnam exporting $1.36 billion to Turkey, according to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

South China Sea dispute

At the joint statement with Phuc, Yildirim also called for dialogue to resolve the South China Sea dispute.

Earlier this month, Vietnam condemned China's construction and operation of a movie theatre on the Paracel Islands, as tension between the neighbours rises over energy claims in the disputed South China Sea waterway.

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