Viet Nam plans to strengthen co-operation with Kazakhstan in the energy sector in general and the oil and gas field in particular, President Truong Tan Sang said.
The President said this during talks with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana yesterday during his official three-day State visit to Kazakhstan, which started on Sunday.
Regarding the issue, Sang added that Viet Nam would create favourable conditions for Kazakhstan's businesses to explore for oil and gas in Viet Nam.
President Nazarbayev voiced his support for Viet Nam's proposals on energy co-operation, including oil and gas exploration and production both in Kazakhstan and Viet Nam. He suggested accelerating the exchange of goods and investment development and reached an agreement with Sang on speeding up trade and investment promotion, exchanges of business visits and sharing of policy and market information. The Kazakh President welcomed Sang's first visit to Kazakhstan, underlining its significant importance in furthering the traditional friendship and multifaceted co-operation between the two countries, especially at a time when they are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The two leaders expressed their deep satisfaction at the dynamic development of traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries over the last two decades, and reiterated their determination to continue consolidating and enhancing the ties. They agreed to maintain regular exchanges of delegations at all levels and to organise cultural days to strengthen political trust and create conditions to promote bilateral ties, especially economic, trade and investment co-operation. The two leaders also discussed measures to increase trade exchange and investment in economics, trade, energy, consumer goods production, transport, tourism, agriculture and mining. Free trade area They agreed to fully implement the Viet Nam-Kazakhstan action plan in the 2011-2013 period and increase the effectiveness of the Viet Nam-Kazakhstan Inter-governmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Science-Technology Co-operation. Both leaders welcomed active preparations made by Viet Nam and the Kazakhstan-Russia-Belarus Customs Union for the establishment of their free trade area (FTA). They said they believed that the future FTA would bring about practical benefits for all sides and help Viet Nam implement its 2011-2020 socio-economic development strategy and Kazakhstan realise its 2030 strategy. Sang highly praised Kazakhstan's role in establishing and consolidating the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). He congratulated the Kazakh President on the 20th anniversary of the conference. Nazarbayev spoke highly of Viet Nam's role in multi-mechanisms in Asia, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asian Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS). He said he believed that with Viet Nam's support, cooperation between Kazakhstan and ASEAN and between the CICA and the association would be strengthened. The two leaders affirmed that all disputes arising in the Asia-Pacific region should be solved peacefully, without the use of force or threat to use force, and in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. Embassy to open Nazarbayev said that Kazakhstan would open an embassy in Viet Nam soon. Sang welcomed this idea and pledged to help the Kazakh embassy operate smoothly. At the talks, President Sang thanked Kazakh leaders and authorities at all levels for assisting the Vietnamese community in Kazakhstan. President Sang invited President Nazarbayev to visit Viet Nam. The Kazakh leader accepted the invitation with pleasure. After the talks, the two Presidents witnessed the signing of agreements on flora quarantine, aviation transport, and other co-operation documents in the banking sector and local linkages. The two sides issued a joint statement affirming they would maintain regular political dialogues and exchange delegations to unceasingly raise mutual trust. While meeting with the press following the talks, Sang said his successful talks with Nazarbayev upheld the spirit of building, trust and mutual understanding. "We affirmed our leaders and people's determination to elevate Viet Nam-Kazakhstan co-operation in a broad and comprehensive manner. We agreed to continue holding dialogues about cooperating in other areas, particularly economics, trade and investment," Sang said
