Energy cooperation marks relations between Vietnam and Qatar

>> Qatar reopens its embassy in Syria after 13 years of closure

Energy cooperation and working partnership in the energy sector is a positive point, the diplomat told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in the Middle East and North Africa.

The diplomat cited Qatar's statistics showing that the two countries' trade turnover from January to October exceeded 2.7 billion riyals (over USD 740 million), almost equaling their total figure for the whole of the year 2023 (752 million USD).

Qatar has enjoyed a trade surplus, mainly due to exports of oil, gas and petrochemicals. Overall, bilateral trade is expected to maintain steady growth in the coming years.

In terms of economic cooperation, the two countries not only strengthened trade in oil and gas products, but also supported key oil and gas service projects. Nearly 600 skilled Vietnamese workers have been employed in Qatar, serving these projects and related companies, such as Qatar Energy and Qatar Energy LNG.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Qatar in October, which aimed to strengthen economic, trade and investment ties, notably attracted considerable attention from government agencies and businesses in both countries. This trip is expected to take bilateral cooperation to a higher level, in a more practical and effective manner in the near future.

Ambassador Nguyên Huy Hiêp expressed optimism about the promising prospects of cooperation between Vietnam and Qatar next year and stressed that the catalyst not only comes from the keen interest of their high-ranking leaders, but also from proactive engagement of their business communities.

According to the diplomat, with its abundant oil and gas resources as well as strong financial and technological capabilities, Qatar has great potential to partner with Vietnam in technology transfer and development of energy projects, especially in renewable energy. .

Meanwhile, with its rapidly growing economy, attractive investment environment and opening-up policies, Vietnam is an attractive destination for Qatari investors in the industrial, agricultural and service sectors.

Ambassador Nguyên Huy Hiêp noted that skilled Vietnamese workers can meet Qatar's demands in its new development phase of green transition, digital transformation and economic diversification.

Tourism and culture are also very promising areas of cooperation, given the rich cultural diversity of the two nations and their growing interest in exploring each other, he added.

For extensive and effective cooperation in the coming times, especially in areas of mutual interest, he recommended that the two countries focus on strengthening existing cooperation mechanisms, including the Vietnam-Qatar Intergovernmental Committee for Cooperation economic, commercial and technical.

The diplomat also suggested exploring and establishing new cooperation frameworks aligned with current priorities and circumstances. These could be subcommittees for labor and trade exchange mechanisms, or working groups on investment between their relevant agencies.

VNA/CVN