Israel looks to recruit more Vietnamese guest workers
VGP - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday hosted a reception for Israeli Minister of Labor Rabbi Yoav Ben Tzur, who is on a working visit to Viet Nam.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) hosts a reception for Israeli Minister of Labor Rabbi Yoav Ben-Tzur, Ha Noi, May 21, 2025 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Pham was convinced that the visit would help further promote cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the fields of labor and employment.
Viet Nam always treasures its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Israel—one of Viet Nam's important partners in the Middle East, stressed the Government chief.
He took the occasion to convey his greetings to the Israeli Prime Minister and proposed that both sides should continue to promote the exchange of visits.
On the occasion of the 77th Independence Day of Israel, to be celebrated today by the Israeli Embassy in Viet Nam, the Prime Minister extended his best wishes to the Israeli government and people for their continued success in national development.
The Prime Minister highlighted science-technology and labor as two key areas in which the two countries can supplement each other, calling on Israel to cooperate with and support Viet Nam in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and startups, suggesting the two sides early finalize and sign a bilateral labor agreement.
Pham also called on the two sides to cooperate in worker training in areas such as skills, foreign languages, culture, and legal knowledge, and in launching bilateral labor cooperation programs—including emerging fields like software design.
The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Home Affairs of Viet Nam to provide weekly reports on the progress of the labor agreement negotiations with Israel.
He also suggested both countries consider negotiating cooperation agreements in education and training, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, startups, and high-tech agriculture.
In reply, Ben-Tzur congratulated Viet Nam on the 135th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890-May 19, 2025).
The minister said that his visit aims to strengthen and expand the existing cooperative relationship between the Israel's Ministry of Labor and the Viet Nam's Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as broader bilateral cooperation.
The minister also said Israel stands ready to cooperate with Viet Nam in all sectors, including high technology, software and energy.
The minister noted that Israel is currently facing a severe labor shortage, seeking to import about 60,000 foreign guest workers in construction and approximately 200,000 workers in other sectors. Hence, Israel is eager and willing to welcome more skilled workers from Viet Nam and will create favorable conditions for their employment.
According to Ben-Tzur, Israel is currently one of the countries offering the best protection of foreign workers' rights, and it is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for international labor.
Viet Nam and Israel established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1993 and signed the Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA) in July 25, 2023, the first FTA between Viet Nam and a Middle East country.
In 2024, the two-way trade valued US$3.24 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent. Israel is currently Viet Nam's second-largest Middle Eastern investor, with total registered capital of US$150 million./.
