Dubai (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receivedMinister of State for Foreign Trade at the UAE Ministry of Economy Thani binAhmed Al Zeyoudi and representatives of some major enterprises of the countryin Dubai on December 3 morning (local time).

The meeting was part of his trip to attend the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) and some bilateral activitiesin the UAE.

Expressing their delight at the progress in the two countries’friendship and cooperation in multiple areas, PM Chinh and the UAE minister of state shared the view that both sides still hold huge cooperation potential tofoster economic, trade, and investment ties, including UAE funds’ investment inrenewable energy and infrastructure in Vietnam.

The UAE official spoke highly of the Vietnamese delegationand PM Chinh’s active contributions to COP28. He noted that thanks to strongdirections from both countries’ leaders, the negotiation on a comprehensiveeconomic partnership agreement (CEPA) between Vietnam and the UAE has madebreakthrough strides and could be signed in 2024.

PM Chinh applauded the negotiation resultsobtained in a record short period of time and asked both sides to keeppromoting the negotiation to complete the work soon.

He welcomed enterprises and investmentfunds of the UAE coming to explore opportunities and expand operations andcooperation in Vietnam, adding that the Southeast Asian country is devising preferentialinvestment policies for emerging and hi-tech sectors that the nine firmsattending the meeting, including Mubadala, Masdar Energy, the Abu Dhabi Fundfor Development, and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, are interested in.

Together with existing regulations, CEPA and those preferentialpolicies once taking effect will provide important bases for businesses to carryout their projects, the Government leader said, suggesting the UAE firmsdevelop seaport cities or financial centres in Vietnam.

At the meeting, executives of the UAEenterprises said they have high expectations for the CEPA so as to step up investmentpartnerships with Vietnam in such fields as infrastructure, seaport, digitaltransformation, clean and renewable energy, financial centre building, healthcare, and agriculture.

On this occasion, PM Chinh and Minister ofState Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi witnessed the handover of cooperation memoranda ofunderstanding between the Port of Abu Dhabi and the VietnamMaritime Administration, and between digital technology firm Sirius IHC and thenational authority of digital transformation under the Vietnamese Ministry of Informationand Communications.

The same day, PM Chinh received the teamof Vietnamese students who obtained a high achievement at a contest within the COP28 framework.

From November 27to December 2, university students from 100 countries introduced their creativeprojects on resolving issues related to natural science, humanities, technology,and innovation in Dubai.

The students from the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology broughtto the contest a project on green concrete that is completely free of cement. Theirproject, attracting great attention from many businesses and partners,surpassed others of over 3,000 teams to be selected as one of the 100 mosteffective and benefit-generating ones for the community.

Later on December 3, PM Chinh, his spouse, and the delegation ofVietnam left Dubai for Hanoi, wrapping up the working trip to the UAE./.