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At the receiving ceremony (Photo: SGGP) |
Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Mongolia arrived in Hanoi at noon on November 1, beginning their five-day State visit to Vietnam at the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong.
After the welcoming ceremony, the two top leaders held a talk.
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| State President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse host an official welcoming ceremony for Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and his spouse at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on November 1. (Photo: SGGP) |
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| State President Vo Van Thuong (L) and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh review the honor guard of the Vietnam People's Army at the receiving ceremony. (Photo: SGGP) |
Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh’s trip marks the 70th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.
Mongolia was one of the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam (November 17, 1954). Vietnam was also the first country in Southeast Asia that Mongolia established diplomatic relations.
Late President Ho Chi Minh visited Mongolia in May 1955 on his first trip abroad after peace was restored in the Northern region.
Throughout those 70 years, the Vietnam-Mongolia relationship has steadily and strongly strengthened. Bilateral trade reached US$41.4 million in 2017, rising to more than US$85 million in 2022 and US$75 million in the first eight months of this year.
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| State President Vo Van Thuong (R) and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh at the welcome ceremony (Photo: SGGP) |
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| State President Vo Van Thuong, his spouse (R) and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, his spouse at the Presidential Palace (Photo: SGGP) |
In the global arena, Vietnam and Mongolia offer mutual support at international forums. Visits by high-ranking leaders of the two countries have been maintained regularly.
Mongolia highly appreciates the good traditional relationship between the two nations and wishes to promote the existing potential to deepen relations in various fields of economy, trade, investment, agriculture, education, culture, labor, national defense and security.
Since 1979, the two sides have held 18 Intergovernmental Committee meetings and enhanced the bilateral cooperation.
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| State President Vo Van Thuong (R) and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh at the welcome ceremony (Photo: SGGP) |
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| At the talk between the top leaders (Photo: SGGP) |
Vietnamese Ambassador to Mongolia Doan Khanh Tam affirmed that President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh's visit to Vietnam has great significance not only within the framework of bilateral cooperation but also opening up vast opportunities for growth regionally and internationally. It is the 4th state visit to Vietnam by a Mongolian President since President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj paid a visit to Vietnam in November 2013.
High-level cooperation agreements that will be signed between the two sides during this visit will create an important legal basis to help the two countries remove difficulties and obstacles, and promote cooperation in fields that are the two countries’ strengths such as agriculture, mining, and tourism, and contribute to balancing the two-way trade, the diplomat said.
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| State President Vo Van Thuong speaks at the talk. (Photo: SGGP) |
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| Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh speaks at the meeting. (Photo: SGGP) |
Vietnam should strengthen and expand cooperation between businesses in the sectors of mining, green growth, climate change response, and air pollution reduction, and import animal products from Mongolia, he added.
With a population of 100 million, Vietnam is in the period of the "golden population" with an abundant young labor force and the fastest-growing middle class.
The two countries need to promote, support, and connect businesses of the two sides in all fields.
Vietnam has signed more than 17 free trade agreements (FTAs), including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Therefore, Mongolian enterprises will have an opportunity to approach the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other markets through Vietnam.
