(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) By Sameer Al-Abdullah
KUWAIT, Nov 18 (KUNA) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced Tuesday that Kuwait and Vietnam will issue a joint statement elevating their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, reflecting the strong political will of both leaderships to build a long-term framework spanning the economy, education, innovation, technology, governance, and human resources.
He praised the solid and growing relations between his country and Kuwait, describing Kuwait as an "important partner and a loyal friend."
Chinh's remarks came during a lecture at the Saud Nasser Al-Sabah Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, which was attended by heads of diplomatic missions.
He said ties between the two nations are rooted in mutual trust, practical cooperation, and close coordination in international forums.
The Prime Minister noted that both sides agreed on nine priority areas to expand future cooperation, including political trust, high-level exchanges, non-traditional security, technology, energy, food security, trade, and investment.
He stressed the need to augment economic cooperation, saying the current level of trade does not reflect available potential.
He added that the two countries stand at the threshold of a new phase of deeper and more comprehensive cooperation, especially as they approach the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties.
Chinh highlighted Kuwait's early support for Vietnam, noting that it was the first Gulf state to open diplomatic relations with Hanoi and among the first to provide development assistance, particularly in agriculture and rural infrastructure.
The Vietnamese leader outlined his country's foreign policy, which he described as independent, diversified, and based on mutual respect and non-alignment.
He said Vietnam's long-term development vision centers on human-focused growth, innovation, technology, and integration into the global economy, aiming to become an industrialized, high middle-income nation by 2030 and a developed country by 2045.
Addressing global developments, he said the world is witnessing unprecedented complexity driven by intersecting economic, security, and technological challenges. Competition over advanced technologies, rare earth minerals, and digital and space domains, he noted, are reshaping international relations.
Chinh emphasized the growing need for small and medium states to navigate these shifts strategically to safeguard national interests.
He also underscored the Middle East's enduring importance in global geopolitics as an energy hub and a region marked by sensitive intersections of religion, ethnicity, and land.
Chinh expressed appreciation for the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation, saying it reflects the longstanding friendship between the two peoples.
Kuwait maintains a significant presence in Vietnam's energy sector through the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, a joint Vietnam-Kuwait-Japan venture.
Kuwait Petroleum International holds a 35.1 percent stake in the approximately USD 9 billion project, which is designed to process up to 200,000 barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil per day.
The refinery is considered Kuwait's first major downstream investment in Southeast Asia and a cornerstone of the two countries' energy cooperation. (end)
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