Vietnam and Iran need to hold negotiations to soon sign a bilateral free trade agreement, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Receiving Iranian Minister of Commerce Mehdi Ghazafari in Hanoi on December 22, PM Dung stressed Vietnam’s wish to boost comprehensive co-operation with Iran on the basis of mutual benefit.

The government of Vietnam supports the building of a 10-year co-operation programme between the two countries, especially in the fields of agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and transport, he said.

PM Dung thanked the Iranian government for its favourable conditions for the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group to carry out oil and gas exploration projects in Iran, and urged the country to continue backing the corporation’s expansion of investment activities in the years to come.

Vietnam is always willing to have Iranian investors and groups invest in the country, he said, adding that Vietnam and Iran should discuss measures to step up trade ties even with a 200% growth rate from last year.

Ghazafari asked the Vietnamese government to support and facilitate the talks for the signing of a bilateral investment protection agreement, saying that it would open up big opportunities for the two nations to promote their cooperative relations.

The minister also requested the Vietnamese government to create favourable conditions for Iranian firms to do business in the Southeast Asian country. (VNA)