Envisioning Comprehensive Pakistan-Vietnam Cooperation: Prospects and Opportunities
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Vietnam’s ambassador says B2B and people-to-people contacts key for bilateral relations
Islamabad, April 24, 2024 – The NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) organized the keynote address by H.E. Nguyen Tien Phong, the Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan, on “Envisioning Comprehensive Pakistan-Vietnam Cooperation: Prospects and Opportunities” on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Lt Gen (Retd) Engr Javed Mahmood Bukhari, Rector NUST, greeted the esteemed guest upon arrival. Moderated by Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, Director General, NIPS, the keynote highlighted key areas of Pakistan-Vietnam cooperation.
The keynote stressed the importance of people-centric approach to bilateral relations as the foundation for enhancing bilateral trade, S&T partnerships, academic and student exchanges, cultural understanding, and tourism promotion, especially faith-based tourism. He called for the dedicated promotion of B2B and people-to-people contacts between the two countries.
The ambassador underscored the need for a strong mechanism for implementing plans, projects, and proposals related to bilateral cooperation. This, he said, required strong ownership by the government and the people on both sides.
He stated that the growth strategy of Vietnam is focused on integrating the Vietnamese firms and enterprises into the regional and global value chains and production networks. He said that Pakistan’s dynamic youth population, sectoral specialization, industrial clusters, and price and locational advantages can catapult the country into the front ranks of emerging economies.
The ambassador praised NUST as the leading knowledge hub of Pakistan. He underscored the importance of top universities as major drivers of nation-building and social development, especially highlighting the need for promoting linkages between Pakistani and Vietnamese universities.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific), MoFA, said that Vietnam’s development in recent decades was highly impressive. He conveyed that Pakistan was committed to not only strengthening bilateral relations but also enhancing cooperation with ASEAN.
The keynote was attended by former and current senior public officials, business personalities, academics, scholars, and students.