Viet Nam, Qatar waive visa for holders of diplomatic and official passports

The agreement were reached in Ha Noi on August 15 during the meeting between Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani who is on an official visit to Viet Nam on August 14-15. 

The pair was unanimous in conducting activities to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, spur exchanges of delegations at all levels, cultural and sports events. 

They also agreed to boost cooperation of investment agencies including the QIA Public Investment Fund and Capital and Investment Corporation (SCIC).  

Minister Bui stressed that Viet Nam will create favorable conditions for Qatar’s firms and investment funds to set footholds in the Southeast Asian country and expect to welcome more tourists from Qatar in the post-pandemic period. 

He suggested that Viet Nam and Qatar soon organize the third meeting of the Joint Committee for Economic, Commercial and Technological Cooperation to hammer out measures for strong cooperation in various fields and speed up negotiations for bilateral cooperation deals. 

In reply, the Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister suggested the two countries enhance information sharing on investment opportunities and expand cooperation in the fields of green economy, renewable energy, science and technology, and agriculture to ensure food security.

On the occaion, the two minissters exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of shared concern and signed an agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports. 

The Viet Nam visit is part of the Qatari official’s Asian tour that also includes Singapore, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea.

The tour would focus on strengthening bilateral relations with the countries of the Asian continent in various vital fields such as investment, trade, and energy, according to the spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

Viet Nam and Qatar established diplomatic ties in 1993. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached US$400 million last year.

Leading Qatari corporations such as Qatar Airways and Qatar National Bank (QNB) are operating effectively in Viet Nam./.