VCCI Vice Chairman Bui Trung Nghia (right) and Minister, Government Secretary-General of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Moctar Al Housseynou Lam.

At the headquarters of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), VCCI Vice Chairman Bui Trung Nghia held a working session with Minister and Government Secretary-General of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Moctar Al Housseynou Lam to discuss orientations for promoting economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries.

At the meeting, the two sides assessed that economic cooperation between Vietnam and Mauritania still has significant room for development. Although bilateral trade turnover has recorded certain progress, its current scale remains modest compared with the potential and complementary strengths of the two economies.

Therefore, strengthening connections between business communities and establishing substantive cooperation mechanisms are considered priorities for the coming period.

Minister and Government Secretary-General of Mauritania Moctar Al Housseynou Lam said that Mauritania is implementing various reform programs aimed at strengthening its political system, improving the investment environment, and building a transparent and open competitive framework to attract foreign businesses.

The Mauritanian Government has established investment promotion councils and inter-ministerial agencies to develop strategies for attracting international investment, while emphasizing the accompanying role of the private sector, particularly chambers of commerce and business federations, in the country’s economic development process.

Both sides agreed that economic cooperation between Vietnam and Mauritania has substantial room for further expansion in the time ahead.

According to Minister Moctar Al Housseynou Lam, Mauritania possesses abundant natural resources, with strengths in mining, particularly iron ore and gold, as well as significant potential for green hydrogen development, a new sector that the country is prioritizing.

In addition, with its long coastline, Mauritania has advantages in the marine economy, including fisheries and aquaculture, creating numerous opportunities for cooperation in post-harvest preservation technology, processing, cold storage, and shipbuilding to serve the fisheries sector.

Mauritania is also promoting offshore gas exploration, agricultural development, and livestock farming across its vast land resources. The Minister expressed his desire to cooperate with Vietnam to leverage the experience, technology, and production capacity of Vietnamese enterprises, thereby making more effective use of Mauritania’s available resources.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of expanding cooperation in human resource training, contributing to the improvement of workforce quality to support Mauritania’s key economic sectors.

Speaking at the meeting, VCCI Vice Chairman Bui Trung Nghia said that the economic structures of the two countries are highly complementary. Vietnam has extensive experience in science and technology development, agriculture, processing, logistics, and the marine economy, while Mauritania possesses abundant resources and significant development potential. These advantages provide an important foundation for enterprises from both countries to expand investment and business cooperation.

To realize this potential, the two sides agreed on the need to strengthen direct connections between the private sectors of the two countries, considering this a driving force for promoting bilateral economic cooperation.

Proposals included studying the establishment of a Vietnam–Mauritania Business Council; organizing business forums, thematic workshops, and trade promotion programs to help enterprises better understand markets, connect with partners, and identify specific areas of cooperation.

VCCI Vice Chairman Bui Trung Nghia and Minister Moctar Al Housseynou Lam pose for a commemorative photo with representatives from both sides after the meeting.

VCCI Vice Chairman Bui Trung Nghia and Minister Moctar Al Housseynou Lam also agreed to promote the establishment of a cooperation mechanism between VCCI and the Mauritania Chamber of Commerce.

This mechanism will provide a framework for market information exchange, the organization of business delegations for market surveys, investment and trade promotion activities, and coordination in organizing business networking events in the future.

In addition, the two sides agreed to continue strengthening coordination at multilateral forums, including the Francophonie, while promoting cooperation with regional organizations such as ASEAN and the African Union (AU), toward inclusive and sustainable development.

Affirming VCCI’s commitment to accompanying businesses, VCCI Vice Chairman Bui Trung Nghia said that the Vietnamese business community is always interested in exploring opportunities in new markets and is ready to cooperate and invest when identifying potential and favorable business environments.

The working session is expected to lay the foundation for a new phase of cooperation between the two countries’ business communities, contributing to the development of Vietnam–Mauritania economic relations in line with the potential and interests of both sides.