Lauding Kuwait’s role and position in the region, Khai thanked Kuwait for creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese workers and expatriates in Kuwait, particularly amid COVID-19.
He hoped the two countries’ cooperation will grow across fields in the time to come, apart from oil and gas. Two-way trade between Vietnam and Kuwait surpassed US$3.2 billion in 2020 and hit over US$3.25 billion in the first nine months of 2021.
The Kuwaiti minister stated Vietnam is an important partner of his nation and expressed his hope for the bilateral relations to further develop across economy, trade and investment.
Labour is also a successful cooperation area between the countries, he added, wishing such collaboration will be boosted and more Vietnamese students will come to study in Kuwait.
The minister informed that the Prime Minister of Kuwait has decided to aid Vietnam 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and that the Government of Kuwait would consider offering more assistance to Vietnam in pandemic prevention and control.
Regarding oil and gas cooperation, he said that the Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical complex project, a joint work between Vietnam, Kuwait and Japan, has been successful in terms of technical aspect. He hoped that the Government of Vietnam will continue to support the success of the project.
In reply, Khai said that this is the largest petrochemical refinery project in Vietnam with capital from large oil and gas corporations. Considering it an important one, the Vietnamese Government has so far granted the project many preferential policies, he added.
Once operational, the complex will supply the Vietnamese market about 5-6 million tonnes of gasoline and oil annually, contributing to ensuring energy security.
