Vietnamese premier hosts his Kyrgyz counterpart

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday hosted his Kyrgyz counterpart Adylbek Kasimalyev, who is on a two-day official visit to Vietnam, according to local media.

The two leaders held talks in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, Vietnam News reported.

This is the first time a Kyrgyz prime minister has visited Vietnam since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992.

The visit aims to strengthen relations and bolster cooperation in a more meaningful and efficient way across all sectors between Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan, the report said.

In the past years, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan fostered strong friendly relations through bilateral delegation exchanges and close cooperation in international organizations and multilateral forums.

However, economic cooperation between the two countries remains limited, with bilateral trade volume totaling just $13.5 million last year.

During his visit to Vietnam, Kasimalyev will also hold talks with other Vietnamese government officials.

Both sides are expected to explore ways to strengthen ties in political-diplomatic and economic-trade-investment areas, as well as cooperation in transportation, agriculture, culture, education, tourism, local partnerships, and people-to-people exchanges.