Hanoi looks to enhance economic partnership with UAE: Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong has a meeting with authorities of Dubai city. (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong made the statement at a meeting with authorities of Dubai city as part of his working visit to the UAE.

At the meeting, both sides expressed their delight at the development of Vietnam-UAE friendship since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1993.

The UAE is currently one of Vietnam’s major trading partners in the Middle East, seventh largest export market, and among the largest investors from Gulf countries in the Southeast Asian nation.

They shared the view that Hanoi and Dubai share many similarities in the economic development orientation, noting their huge potential for cooperation potential in investment, trade, and tourism.

The two cities are members of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the design category, which serves as the foundation for them to support each other in activities under the UCCN framework and organise events promoting creativity and design art.

As Hanoi and Dubai are major tourism markets, they agreed on the necessity to promote tourism via cultural exchange activities and cooperation between travel agencies.

Deputy Secretary Phong suggested the two cities sign a memorandum of understanding in the field of tourism to facilitate future collaboration activities.

As part of the working trip to the UAE, Deputy Secretary Phong also visited the Vietnamese Embassy here, which was urged to continue serving as a bridge to support Hanoi in expanding its partnership with UAE localities in the coming time.