Viet Nam willing to support Timor-Leste to tackle food shortages
VGP - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that Viet Nam is ready to assist and boost rice trade with Timor-Leste to deal with concern over food shortages.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) shakes hands with Timor Leste counterpart Xanana Gusmao, Jakarta, Indonesia
Prime Minister Pham made the above statement at a meeting with his Timor Leste counterpart Xanana Gusmao on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related summits in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Viet Nam, said Mr Pham, shares Timor Leste's concern over food shortages due to the impact of declining global rice exports and climate change.
He urged the two countries to begin negotiations towards the signing of a rice trade agreement to create a long-term legal framework for bilateral cooperation.
Prime Minister Pham asked Timor Leste to support and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese companies to implement investment projects, and promptly resolve pending legal issues to encourage foreign investment in its territory.
The two leaders underlined the necessity to effectively implement the signed agreements, and soon complete the negotiations to sign the bilateral Investment Protection Agreement and ratify the trade agreement between the two countries.
They also underlined the importance of fostering cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, tourism, culture, education and people-to-people exchange, while exploring new areas of cooperation that suit development needs of Timor Leste and the potential and strengths of Viet Nam such as agro-forestry and fisheries, digital transformation and green transition.
For his part, Mr Gusmao said that Timor Leste always attaches importance to promoting relations with Viet Nam.
He agreed with Prime Minister Pham's proposals which aimed at promoting cooperation, especially in the fields of telecommunications, trade- investment and the rice sector.
Gusmao spoke highly of the important contributions of Telemor, a subsidiary of the Vietnamese group Viettel, to the development of Timor Leste's telecom industry. He also promised to create favorable conditions for foreign investors, including Viettel.
The pairs agreed to support each other and coordinate effectively in regional and international multilateral forums./.
