Viet Nam was willing to co-operate with Turkey to boost trade relations between the two countries, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said yesterday, Feb 22.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (right) greets Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Bulent Arinc in Ha Noi on Feb 22. (Photo: VNS)

Receiving Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Bulent Arinc in Ha Noi, the Prime Minister said the Vietnamese Government would facilitate Turkish businesses’ investment in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam and Turkey were seeking measures to raise bilateral trade to US$2 billion in several years to come, he said. Bilateral trade last year was $636 million.

Dung also spoke highly of the future signing of a co-operation deal on technical standard along with agreements on the avoidance of double taxation and investment protection between the two countries.

He also asked the Turkish Government to consider the removal of anti-dumping taxes on some goods imported from Viet Nam with the aim of boosting bilateral co-operation.

Dung expressed his belief that with efforts by both countries, the Viet Nam-Turkey friendship would be more fruitful in all sectors.

Bulent Arinc, who is in Viet Nam to attend the fifth session of the Viet Nam-Turkey Joint Committee on Trade and Economy, said he was pleased to see the development of bilateral ties in the recent past, especially in trade, tourism and culture, adding that the joint committee was making efforts to build co-operation orientation.

Many Turkish enterprises wanted to invest in Viet Nam and enjoy favourable conditions on investment procedures created by the Vietnamese Government, Bulent Arinc said.

He also said that Turkey would deal with the issue of anti-dumping taxes on Vietnamese imports in accordance with WTO regulations.

The same day, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem had a meeting with Bulent Arinc, during which he recalled his good impressions while visiting Turkey in June 2009.

Khiem expressed his pleasure to see the development of the Viet Nam-Turkey multifaceted co-operation and asked the two sides to increase high-ranking visits to further strengthen bilateral ties.

Bulent Arinc showed his admiration for Viet Nam’s fast development, affirming that Turkey wanted to boost multisided co-operation with Viet Nam.

The two agreed to raise bilateral trade to $1 billion in 2011 and enhance co-operation in education, culture, tourism and transportation.

The two sides should sign agreements on investment encouragement and protection and avoidance of double taxation to create a legal framework for long-term co-operation, they said.

Also yesterday, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan and Bulent Arinc shared the view that though being geographically far from each other, the relations between Viet Nam and Turkey had developed.

While stressing that the two countries needed to boost co-operation in investment, agriculture, industry and finance and banking, Doan expressed her hope that Turkey would soon recognise Viet Nam as a market economy, and she said the two countries’ related agencies needed to exchange information to avoid trade barriers to create favourable conditions for the goods of both countries to enter the other’s market.

Bulent Arinc informed his host of the result of the meeting of the Viet Nam-Turkey joint committee, affirming that Turkey always attached importance to co-operation with Viet Nam, particularly in trade, tourism, culture and education.

Turkey wanted to co-operate closely with Viet Nam within the framework of the WTO, of which the two countries are members, he said.

Meanwhile, in a business conference in Ha Noi yesterday, Bulent Arinc told representatives of 90 businesses he hoped the Vietnamese Government would better support domestic companies in doing business in Turkey as the Turkish Government was assisting its enterprises enhancing their presence in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Vu Tien Loc said new opportunities were awaiting Turkish investors in Viet Nam due to its favourable geographic location, open policies and improved investment and business climates.

Loc described the conference as a good chance for enterprises to foster trade information exchange and establish new partnerships. It would accelerate bilateral relations between the two countries, he said.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said there was untapped potential for the two business communities to speed up their trade co-operation.

He called on businesses to keep contact and take initiatives in joining trade fairs and exhibitions in each country to seek trade and investment co-operation.

Turkey is now one of Viet Nam’s largest trading partners in Western Asia.

Some Vietnamese firms had signed deals with Turkish partners to export agricultural products and handicrafts to their markets, Viet Nam-Turkey business council chairman Do Quy Dung said.

The council was founded in 2009 to help promote trade relations. Last year, it organised a business trip for Vietnamese companies to participate in a trade conference in Turkey.

Yesterday also saw a co-operation agreement signed between the chamber and the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey.

During their visit to Viet Nam, the business delegation also participated in the fifth meeting of the Vietnamese-Turkish Joint Economic and Trade Committee.

A Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation between the two nations in standard and quality management was expected to be signed during the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Agreement on the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investment and the Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation between Turkey and Viet Nam were in their concluding phases.

Late this year, Turkish Airlines also launched its direct flights from Istanbul to HCM City, a move to effectively facilitate business co-operation between two nation’s enterprises.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News