Following an official reception at Bayan Palace in Kuwait City, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on 17/11. The Emir expressed Kuwait's desire for both nations to expand cooperation in economic, trade, investment, food security, and science and technology, and to coordinate positions on international issues, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Emir affirmed that, in his role as chairman of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Kuwait is very interested in strengthening cooperation between the GCC and Vietnam and ASEAN, viewing Vietnam as a strategic gateway for expanding cooperation with ASEAN.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace on 17/11. *Photo: TTXVN*.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed nine key areas of cooperation for the coming period. These include strengthening political trust between the two countries through active exchanges of high-level delegations. The Prime Minister also proposed boosting energy cooperation, expanding oil and gas collaboration, and creating breakthroughs in investment relations.

The Prime Minister hoped the Emir would direct the Kuwait Investment Authority to increase investment in Vietnam, particularly in the international financial center in TP HCM, and to strongly promote trade. He also asked the Emir to support early negotiations and signing of a Vietnam - GCC free trade agreement (FTA), and to expedite negotiations on a food security assurance agreement and projects supporting the development of the Halal ecosystem in Vietnam.

The two sides will promote cooperation in defense and security, including the development of dual-use defense equipment such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They will also participate in each other's defense exhibitions, cooperate in addressing non-traditional security challenges, and enhance cybersecurity cooperation.

The Prime Minister further proposed boosting cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation across various fields. Additionally, he called for enhanced tourism cooperation, promotion of people-to-people exchanges, and fostering collaboration in labor, culture, sports, and education and training. The Prime Minister affirmed that, with its potential and strengths, Vietnam is ready to join Kuwait in contributing to common efforts to promote peace and reconstruction in the Middle East region.

The two leaders supported strengthening political trust and enhancing coordination and consultation on regional and international issues for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and worldwide. They agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic level.

Kuwait is currently Vietnam's largest trade and investment partner among GCC member states. Bilateral trade turnover reached 7.3 billion USD in 2024. Kuwait's largest investment project in Vietnam is the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, with a total investment capital of 9 billion USD. Currently, the two countries have several local cooperation agreements, connecting areas such as TP HCM with Ahmadi province, and Thanh Hoa province with Al Farwaniyh province.