(MENAFN- The Peninsula) RAYNALD C RIVERA | THE PENINSULA
DOHA: With the significant role it plays in global food security and advancements it has made in this field, Vietnam is open to working with Qatar in its efforts towards achieving food security, Ambassador Nguyen Dinh Thao has said.
'Vietnam plays an important role in global food security as it has made progress in food security and increased production for international markets, therefore, Vietnam is ready to cooperate with Qatar especially in the field of food security. High-tech agriculture is also a development focus for Vietnam in maintaining food security in the future and it is an area which Qatar and Vietnam can work together, said Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Dinh Thao.
Vietnam is a net exporter of agri-food, seafood, rice and many other agricultural products. In 2016, exports of agriculture and forestry products reached $18.1bn, an increase of 6.5 percent and accounting 10.3 percent of the country's total exports. Seafood exports were valued at $7bn, an increase of 6.8 percent and accounting 4 percent of total export value.
'Vietnam can bring to Qatar our top leading agriculture export products like vegetables, coffee, cashew nuts, pepper, rice and rubber, said Ambassador Nguyen, who was speaking on the celebration of Vietnamese Lunar New Year yesterday at the Vietnamese Embassy.
He lauded the decision of Qatar affirming the recognition of Vietnam's market economy status which he said 'vividly reflects the multi-faceted cooperation and mutual trust between the two countries.
'This recognition is a key contributor to deepening the bilateral relations between Vietnam and the State of Qatar, particularly the potential economic and trade ties, he said.
On his prime focus as Vietnam's new ambassador to Qatar: 'My main focus for upcoming three years is making Vietnam become more widely popular as a ideal destination for tourism and investment; bringing Vietnam closer to Qatar through Vietnamese products in Qatar and enhancing people-to-people exchange between Qatari and Vietnamese in order to increase cultural knowledge between two countries.
As Qatar and Vietnam marks the silver jubilee of diplomatic relations this year, the envoy expressed optimism on further strengthening ties between the two countries with recent positive developments.
A slew of events and activities are set to be held throughout the year for the historic celebration including Vietnamese cultural and cuisine festival, cultural shows, movie screenings and photo exhibitions, aimed towards promotion of cultural diversity, tourism and artistic collaboration between the two countries.
There are currently 1.400 Vietnamese citizens in Qatar including researchers, students, engineers, workers in construction areas and other services.
'In recent years, governments of Vietnam and Qatar have been in line with each other to promote cooperation in many fields, especially in labor cooperation aim at increasing the number of Vietnamese in Qatar. Following this development, I believe that the Vietnamese population in Qatar will increase in the future, he said.
Considered the biggest and most important festival in Vietnam, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year was celebrated with great festivity featuring performances and authentic Vietnamese food. Yesterday's celebration was graced by the presence of former Vietnam Ambassador to Qatar Nguyen Hoang, officials, guests and members of the Vietnamese community.
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