State President Truong Tan Sang reiterated Vietnam’s interest in deepening ties with Venezuela to benefit the two peoples during his talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros in Hanoi on August 31. The talks took place immediately following the official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace. Vietnam backs Venezuela’s constitutional government led by President Nicolas Maduro Moros, said the host, adding that he believes Venezuelans will overcome challenges and reap new successes moving forward. The guest expressed his desire to learn about Vietnam’s development experiences and stated that Venezuela continually considers Vietnam a significant partner and is eager to further bilateral ties. Both leaders agreed to maintain and improve the efficiency of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the Inter-Governmental Committee for Economic-Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation and political consultations between the two foreign ministries. They will direct ministries and agencies to gradually fine-tune legal frameworks through negotiating and signing deals in specific areas while facilitating business operations across energy, oil and gas, agriculture and fisheries. Both host and guest welcomed the signing of an agreement on agriculture projects for 2015-2018 during the visit, laying a legal framework to launch three projects on food production, aquaculture and animal breeding in Venezuela. They also confirmed their support for joint work across the manufacturing and processing industry, infrastructure and social housing, construction materials and electrical appliances. The Venezuelan side pledged its continued assistance to an oil-and-gas venture between the two national oil and gas groups in the country. As trade remains below 100 million USD per year, they concurred to directing ministries and agencies to lift the figure to 1-2 billion USD or upwards in the next three years. Venezuela is ready to be a bridge linking Vietnam with 19 Caribbean countries home to an 80-million population and members of the PetroCaribe – an oil alliance of Caribbean states with Venezuela, the guest said. Both host and guest promised to foster national defence-security collaboration by facilitating experience sharing and training, as well as gave a nod to enhanced relationship between the two Parties, legislatures and socio-political organisations. They expressed their satisfaction with the current close mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums, especially the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and South-South cooperation mechanism. On the occasion, President Nicolas Maduro Moros informed his host that Venezuela backs Vietnam’s bid for a seat at the UN Economic and Social Council for the 2016-2018 tenure. The Vietnamese leader, in return, promised a close partnership with Venezuela and other member states to successfully host the NAM Summit slated for the first half of 2016 in Venezuela. On regional and global issues of shared interest, the two sides shared the view that sovereignty and territorial disputes should be settled by peaceful means and in accordance with international laws, particularly the UN Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.-VNA