The relations between Vietnam and Israel are entering a golden period, affirmed Vietnam’s ambassador to Israel, Cao Trân Quôc Hai, during an interview with a reporter from the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in Tel Aviv, on the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (1993-2018).
According to Vietnam’s ambassador to Israel, Cao Trân Quôc Hai, Vietnam and Israel have achieved significant cooperation in politics, economy, security, defense, trade, science and technology, training, tourism, etc. Political relations continue to be consolidated and strengthened through exchanges of delegations at all levels.
In terms of economy, Israel is one of Vietnam’s top economic partners in the Middle East, with annual trade exchanges exceeding one billion dollars over the past three years. Currently, Vietnamese products such as phones, coffee, cashew nuts, shoes, and textiles hold a significant market share in Israel. Vietnam ranks in the top 3 of the main suppliers of processed tuna in this country.
Every year, Vietnam has more than 700 students pursuing their studies in Israel. In addition, Israel offers hundreds of scholarships to Vietnamese officials to participate in training courses on start-ups, innovation, high-tech agriculture, education, gender equality, etc.
Several Vietnamese groups have utilized Israeli high technologies to develop large-scale agricultural projects in Vietnam, for example, the clean vegetable cultivation project of VinEco from the Vingroup group, the project of TH True Milk group in dairy farming in Nghê An province, etc…
Regarding tourism, in 2017, Vietnam welcomed 25,000 Israeli tourists. Furthermore, bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the intergovernmental committee and political consultations between the two countries are regularly implemented, contributing to strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
According to Ambassador Cao Trân Quôc Hai, Vietnam and Israel must strive to raise their trade exchanges to three billion dollars in the coming years. It is necessary to accelerate negotiations on the Vietnam-Israel free trade agreement. Both parties should enhance investment and trade promotion activities and encourage businesses to conduct their activities in Vietnam and Israel.
In the near future, the two countries should expedite the start of negotiations on the bilateral cooperation agreement in the field of labor so that Vietnamese can work in the agricultural sector in Israel. They can consider opening direct flight routes to facilitate the movement of business people and tourists.
During the visit to Vietnam by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in March 2017, the leaders of both countries agreed that the economy and science and technology are priorities for bilateral cooperation, even in the future.
In the era of the 4.0 industrial revolution, Vietnam and Israel can cooperate in science and technology, particularly in areas where Vietnam has needs and Israel has strengths such as high-tech agriculture, water management, education and training, telecommunications, cybersecurity, smart cities, eco-friendly start-up development, and innovation, etc.
Finally, Vietnamese Ambassador Cao Trân Quôc Hai expressed confidence that the relations between the two countries will continue to develop in various fields, for the benefit of both peoples.
