Vietnam - Mongolia sign visa exemption agreement

President Vo Van Thuong and Mongolian President witnessed the signing ceremony of a visa exemption agreement for citizens of the two countries after talks at the Presidential Palace.

"The President and I have just had a very successful meeting. We welcome the two sides signing an agreement on visa exemption for people of the two countries, contributing to expanding trade cooperation, tourism and people-to-people exchange," President Vo Van Thuong said at a press conference after his meeting with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh at the Presidential Palace this afternoon.

The agreement between Vietnam and Mongolia on visa exemption for diplomatic, official and ordinary passport holders is one of six documents signed today. The remaining documents focus on immigration, security cooperation, transnational drug crime prevention and sustainable rice trade.

The Mongolian President expressed his honor to visit "the land of the golden dragon Vietnam, as well as the beautiful, thousand-year-old Thang Long - Hanoi", emphasizing that the two countries have had diplomatic relations for more than 700 years. President Khurelsukh recalled the historical period in which Mongolia donated to support the Vietnamese people in their struggle for independence and freedom. Vietnam was also the first Southeast Asian country to establish relations with Mongolia.

President Vo Van Thuong and Mongolian President held a press conference on the afternoon of November 1. Photo: Giang Huy

President Vo Van Thuong affirmed that the Vietnam-Mongolia relationship is developing well and achieving many new achievements, especially in the fields of politics, defense, security and economy.

The two sides agreed to strengthen substantive cooperation in the fields of justice, defense industry, and security through specific projects, including cooperation in combating transnational drug crimes and exchanging defense and security students.

President Vo Van Thuong and President Khurelsukh agreed to promote the goal of doubling bilateral trade turnover to 200 million USD in the coming years, promote the expansion of bilateral import and export of goods, and open the door to each other's goods on the basis of meeting the standards and needs of each side.

Vietnam and Mongolia highly appreciated the agreement of the two sides' authorities on the animal quarantine certificate form, saying that this will facilitate the export of each country's strengths to the other's market.

President Vo Van Thuong and Mongolian President before the meeting on the afternoon of November 1. Photo: Giang Huy

Vietnam hopes that Mongolia will continue to support ASEAN's stance in ensuring maritime and aviation security and safety in the East Sea, and support the settlement of all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"I believe that with the political determination of the senior leaders and the consensus of the people of the two countries, on the basis of the good traditional friendship, the Vietnam-Mongolia relationship will continue to consolidate and develop, towards establishing a new and higher framework of relations, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world," said President Vo Van Thuong.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong received the President of Mongolia at the Party Central Committee Headquarters on the afternoon of November 1. Photo: Giang Huy

On the same day, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong received President Khurelsukh at the Party Central Committee Headquarters, affirming that Vietnam always remembers and appreciates the sentiments and assistance of Mongolia.

President Khurelsukh expressed his appreciation for the traditional relations between the two countries, especially the historic event of President Ho Chi Minh's visit to Mongolia. The President affirmed that Mongolia considers Vietnam a leading partner in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam and Mongolia established diplomatic relations on November 17, 1954. The two countries regularly help and support each other. Bilateral trade has recently grown rapidly, from about 50 million USD in 2020 to 85 million USD in 2022 and about 75 million USD in the first 8 months of this year.

In 2020, Mongolia donated 105 horses to support the equipment of the Ministry of Public Security's Cavalry Mobile Police Corps. As of August, there were about 400 Vietnamese workers living in Mongolia, mainly working in auto repair shops.

Vnexpress.net