NA Chairwoman wishes for increased trade with Kazakhstan

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) and Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Kassym Zhomart Tokayev - Source: VNA

During a meeting with Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan KassymZhomartTokayev in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan on October 17, Ngan informed the host about the outcomes of her talks with Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament (Lower House) of Kazakhstan NurlanNigmatulin, saying that both sides agreed on specific cooperation contents to boost ties between the two legislatures and multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries.

She asked for reviewing the outcomes of the one-year implementation of the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (Vietnam-EAEU FTA) and effectively upholding Vietnam-Kazakhstan Inter-Governmental Committee mechanism.

In the near future, she suggested that both sides should finalize the contents of the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons for the early signing, boost joint work in line with the education-training cooperation agreement signed in September 2009 and the supplementary Protocol signed in November 2011, effectively realise the tourism agreement signed in November 2011 and related deals.

The Vietnamese legislature wants to strengthen ties with the Kazakh parliament at regional and global forums, she said.

On the occasion, she informed Kazakh Senate Chairman that the 14th Vietnamese NA has established the Vietnam – Kazakhstan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group to help with linking the two law-making bodies together.

The Vietnamese NA leader proposed upholding consultation mechanism and mutual support at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum. She asked for the discussion of regional and global issues of shared concern, facilitating the exchange of all-level visits and monitoring the implementation of agreements signed between the two nations.

Tokayev, for his part, hailed the significance of the first visit made by a Vietnamese NA leader to the country.

He said that the two countries’ two-way trade rose to US$375 million in the first eight months this year from US$370 million in 2016. The figure is estimated at US$450 million this year, which he said, is still below the two countries’ potential. He asked for more active involvement from legislators in pushing their governments to promote trade.

The host agreed with the Vietnamese leader on fully tapping incentives and opportunities brought about by the Vietnam-EAEU FTA. The two sides could export and import goods of strength and demand, he suggested.

Kazakhstan welcomes small- and medium-sized Vietnamese enterprises to do business in the country, he said, adding that the two nations will continue working closely together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.

He also took the occasion to invite Vietnam to attend the sixth Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions slated for October 2018 in the country.