Prime Minister of Kuwait visits VN

Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. — Photo VNA

HÀ NỘI — The three-day visit to Việt Nam by Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah from today is expected to boost bilateral co-operation in various fields, especially trade, oil and gas, employment, agriculture and tourism.During the visit, which is made at the invitation of PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, the two sides are scheduled to discuss issues of shared concern.Việt Nam and Kuwait established diplomatic ties on January  一0,  一 九 七 六. Việt Nam opened its trade representative office in Kuwait in June  一 九 九 三, and its Embassy in the Middle East nation in October  二00 三.Kuwait opened its Embassy in Hà Nội in August  二00 七 and its Consulate-General in HCM City one month later.The two sides signed a range of agreements, covering such areas as economy, science, technology, trade, tax, air transport, visa exemptions and foreign affairs.In February  二0 一 六, the Kuwaiti Government recognised Việt Nam as having a market economy.During the  二0 一 一- 二0 一 三 period, two-way trade exceeded US$ 七00 million with $ 八 三 六. 七 million recorded in  二0 一 一, mostly driven by Việt Nam’s diesel imports from Kuwait.Last year, due to the impact of the falling oil prices and the decrease in Viet Nam’s imports of Kuwaiti diesel, bilateral trade stood at only $ 二 二0 million.Việt Nam mainly exports garments-textiles, seafood, wood and timber products, computers, electronics, fruit, vegetables, pepper, footwear and porcelain products to Kuwait.Its major import items are oil, fertilizer, plastic materials, fabric, chemicals and apparel materials.In the oil and gas sector, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) is partnering with Japan in the Vietnam-based Nghi Son Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Complex Project worth $ 九 billion, under which the Kuwaiti side will provide crude oil for the plant.Construction on the plant began in October  二0 一 三, it is scheduled to be put into operation in late  二0 一 七.In March  二0 一 六, the Hà Nội Department of Planning and Investment granted an investment licence to a joint project by Kuwait Petroleum International Ltd (KPI) and Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd to deliver oil and gas products in Viet Nam.Via the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Kuwait has given loans worth about $ 一 六0 million to Việt Nam to help the country implement  一 三 rural infrastructure development projects. — VNS