At the meeting, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong affirmed that Viet Nam wishes to further deepen the friendly and cooperative relationship with Dominica, particularly in the areas of culture, sports and tourism.
The Deputy Minister also expressed a desire for the two countries’ relevant agencies to explore the possibility of signing a visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders in the near future, building upon the effective implementation of the existing visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports.
Regarding sports, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong appreciated Dominica’s willingness to cooperate and noted that Vietnamese people are passionate about sports. Although sports such as rugby or athletics are not yet widely popular in Viet Nam, bilateral exchanges and cooperation could help both sides develop new sporting disciplines, thereby enriching the people’s sporting lives.
In terms of tourism, the Deputy Minister shared that Viet Nam expects to welcome over 20 million international visitors this year. With its open-door policy, Viet Nam looks forward to working with other countries to facilitate travel for both Vietnamese and foreign citizens.
Minister Vince Henderson praised Viet Nam’s growing role on the international stage and affirmed that Dominica always supports Viet Nam in global forums such as UNESCO and the WTO, as well as in efforts to maintain peace and global cooperation. He also mentioned that Dominica is awaiting approval from the Government of Viet Nam to establish an embassy in the country, which would serve as a foundation for deeper bilateral cooperation.
In the area of sports, Minister Henderson noted that Dominica won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics and is willing to share its experience, offer training support, and organise sports exchange activities with Viet Nam.
On the topic of tourism, he highlighted that the Caribbean island nations are located close to each other and, if well-connected, Dominica could become an attractive and convenient destination for Vietnamese tourists to explore the wider Caribbean. Dominica is ready to serve as a gateway linking Viet Nam with the Caribbean region. Therefore, both sides should collaborate to promote each other’s images and introduce the culture and people of Viet Nam to Dominica, and vice versa.
Minister Vince Henderson also expressed a desire to promote exchanges and expand cooperation in the field of education, hoping that Dominica will soon send students to study in Viet Nam.
