Traduction en francais en cours
Source : AVI, 26/10/2007
VietNamNet Bridge – Algeria-Vietnam partnership has room to grow if political goodwill act as the catalyst.
Algerian Ambassador to Vietnam Naceur Boucherit made that remark at a ceremony to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Algeria diplomatic ties (Oct. 28), in Hanoi on October 26.
Ambassador Naceur Boucherit praised the development of the solidarity between the two countries over the past half a century. He affirmed that Algeria is ready to further develop the two countries' bilateral ties.
Nguyen Tan Van, President of the Vietnam-Algeria Friendship Association, said over the past 45 years, Vietnam-Algeria relations have been constantly strengthened and developed, with the exchange of regular visits by the two countries' leaders.
The two countries' economic, commercial, scientific, technical, health care and educational cooperation has been expanded and promoted. They have also signed many legal documents to facilitate bilateral cooperation in various areas.
Algerian envoy: bright future for ties with Vietnam
Algerian Ambassador to Vietnam Naceur Boucherit has pointed out numerous fields that the two countries can work together for mutual interest.
He made the statement in an exclusive interview with the Viet Nam News Agency (VNA) when the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on October 28.
Naceur said the regular exchange of visits at all levels and economic booms have brought in numerous opportunities for businesses from the two countries, highlighting PetroVietnam, which entered into a 231 million USD oil and gas venture with Sonatrach company in 2002, as a model for other businesses to follow.
It's also a good signal that an increasing number of Vietnamese businesses have accompanied their Prime Minister and National Assembly Chairman on visits to Algeria to seek investment opportunities, he said.
But he noted that two-way trade remains low at almost 60 million USD a year, stressing this was still far below expectation and far away from the two countries' potential.
In an effort to change the trend, “Algerian businesses made their first visit to Vietnam in December last year. Forums held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City during their visit ushered in a new stage of Algeria-Vietnam history,” said the diplomat.
The joint Vietnam-Algeria committee's meeting in March, 2006 also brought in a promising prospect for bilateral relations and helped expand cooperative areas, he added.
Algeria is not only a link between Europe and Africa but also an entrance gate into African markets, he noted.
The diplomat called for greater efforts from the two Governments to set up strong partnerships between Vietnamese and Algerian businesses and promote a tri-party model in Africa.
Such a model should also be applied to Vietnam to turn the country into an entrance gate into Asia, which has contributed an increasingly important part in Algeria's foreign trade and investment, he concluded.
(Source: VNA)
