http://www.saigontimes.com.vn/daily/detail...2769&SoTT=2
Tanzania wants stronger ties with Vietnam
Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ® greets his Tanzanian counterpart Edward Lowassa in Hanoi yesterday
By PHAM VU
(SGT-HCMC) Visiting Tanzanian Prime Minister Edward Lowassa has said his country is looking to step up multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, especially in trade and economic issues, the Vietnam News Agency reports.
Speaking at a meeting with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung after a welcome ceremony in Hanoi yesterday, one day after his arrival for a six-day visit, he called for Vietnamese companies to do business in Tanzania, such as in farm produce production and processing, garments and textiles, tourism and natural gas.
PM Dung described the visit, the first to the Asian region since Lowassa took up the post of prime minister in January this year, as an affirmation of the fine bilateral relations, saying it would provide new momentum for the traditional ties and cooperation to grow further.
He reiterated the resolve of the 10th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam to diversify and multilateralize international relations, and attach importance to the relationship with traditional friends in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The relationship with Tanzania is important to Vietnam’s foreign policy, he added.
The two leaders discussed measures to diversify cooperation aspects and forms, especially the tripartite cooperation between Vietnam, Tanzania and a sponsor who is a developed country or an international organization so as to raise the relations to a higher plane.
Dung proposed Tanzania open a representative office in Vietnam as soon as possible to boost the exchange of information on bilateral cooperation. And Lowassa said Tanzania would open a representative office when possible.
He thanked Tanzania for its strong support for Vietnam’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 term and for World Trade Organization membership.
The two also agreed to facilitate exchanges of visits and information at ministerial, industrial, and enterprise levels to arrive at concrete cooperation deals, particularly in production, farm produce processing, textiles and garment making, and tourism.
Dung accepted Lowassa’s invitation to visit Tanzania in the future.
The same day Lowassa and his entourage met Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong. He and his wife Regina Lowassa also dropped by the Vietnam Union of Women’s Associations.