Speaking at a ceremony held by the Kuwaiti Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on February 23 to celebrate the 63rd anniversary of Kuwait's Independence Day and the 33rd anniversary of Liberation Day, Hoan said that Vietnamese people, including Ho Chi Minh City's residents, are happy to see achievements that the Kuwaiti Government and people have made during the past time.
According to the official, the mutual understanding and shared desire for independence, freedom, peace and the will to thrive have been the foundation for the strong friendship between the Vietnamese and Kuwaiti peoples for nearly half a century since the two countries officially established diplomatic relations on January 10, 1976.
Vietnam always considers Kuwait as one of the most important partners in the Middle East in general and the Gulf region in particular, he said, adding that it is proved by Vietnam’s selection of Kuwait as the first country in the Gulf to open its embassy in 2023, which creates the foundation for future development.
Hoan emphasised that based on the good relations between the two countries, Ho Chi Minh City wants to further strengthen cooperation with Kuwait in the fields of trade, commerce, health care, education, tourism, heritage preservation, and the Halal industry.
For his part, Kuwaiti Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Talal Alhazza emphasised that Kuwait – Vietnam relations have always been built based on friendship, mutual respect and understanding, and solidarity between the two peoples. The good relationship between the two countries has always been strengthened through mutual visits at all levels and bilateral cooperation agreements in many fields.
Over the past years, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has played an active role in strengthening the bilateral relations between Kuwait and Vietnam by providing loans for infrastructure development projects in many rural and mountainous areas in Vietnam.
In addition, investment cooperation, trade promotion, and tourism activities promoted by the two countries’ agencies have opened up opportunities for cooperation between their businesses in the future. Kuwait has remained Vietnam's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and one of Vietnam's leading trading partners with two-way trade turnover reaching nearly 6 billion USD in 2023.
On this occasion, the Consul General called on Vietnamese entrepreneurs and businesses to continue investing in development projects in Kuwait, helping to promote bilateral trade and strengthen trade and investment relations between Kuwait and Vietnam.
