Vietnam, Oman Foreign Ministries hold 5th political consultation in Hanoi
WVR - On November 4, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman for Political Affairs Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Al-Harthy co-chaired the 5th political consultation between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
Latest
 |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman for Political Affairs Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Al-Harthy co-chaired the 5th Political Consultation between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs. (Photol Quang Hoa) |
During the consultation, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang welcomed the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman for his working visit to Vietnam at a significant time for both countries: They are approaching the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations (June 9, 1992 - June 9, 2027) and entering a new phase of development. Oman is striving to implement Oman Vision 2040, while Vietnam is determined to achieve its strategic development goals for 2030 and 2045. Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang appreciated Oman's mediating role in the region, contributing to reducing tensions and facilitating diplomatic solutions to differing issues.
Deputy Minister Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Al-Harthy expressed admiration for the country and people of Vietnam; he praised the heroic history of the Vietnamese nation and the admirable development achievements Vietnam has made from a challenging starting point. The Deputy Minister was deeply impressed by Vietnam's allure with its beautiful natural landscapes and friendly people; he affirmed that Vietnam and Oman share many commonalities, which serve as an important foundation for further cooperation in the future.
The two Deputy Ministers expressed delight at the positive developments in Vietnam-Oman relations since the 4th political consultation (September 2025 in Muscat), notably the bilateral trade turnover in the first eight months of 2026 reaching 1.6 billion USD, more than five times the total for 2025. They agreed that Vietnam and Oman have many similarities: both are committed to peace, dialogue, and respect for international law; both pursue a foreign policy of peace, multilateralism, and diversification of relations, maintaining good relations with all countries; their economies complement each other and hold significant potential for multifaceted cooperation.
 |
| Overview of the meeting. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
Affirming the determination to deepen and make Vietnam-Oman bilateral relations more substantive and effective, considering the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027 as a significant milestone, the two Deputy Ministers agreed to enhance cooperation to strengthen autonomy, resilience, and diversify partnerships for each country in the rapidly changing and complex global context; continue to promote the implementation of commitments and agreements reached, and explore and propose new cooperation agreements in potential fields.
 |
| The two Deputy Ministers agreed to enhance cooperation to strengthen autonomy, resilience, and diversify partnerships for each country in the rapidly changing global context. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
The two Deputy Ministers assessed the Vietnam-Oman Investment Fund (VOI), the first intergovernmental investment fund between Vietnam and a Gulf nation, as a highlight and symbol of bilateral cooperation and a foundation for investment and financial cooperation between Vietnam and Oman as well as the region; they agreed to continue promoting the Fund's effective operation, aiming to increase its scale to 1 billion USD.
Deputy Minister Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Al-Harthy emphasised the need to maintain the impressive trade growth of 2026 in the coming years; affirmed that Oman is ready to serve as Vietnam's gateway to the Gulf market. The Deputy Minister highlighted the willingness to facilitate Vietnamese businesses in investing and exporting goods to Oman, thereby accessing the Middle Eastern market and Oman's extensive partner network. He stated that Oman is ready to support a Vietnam-GCC FTA or another suitable bilateral trade framework. Noting that Vietnam is emerging as an attractive tourist destination for visitors from Oman and other Middle Eastern countries, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman suggested that both sides facilitate people-to-people exchanges, cultural exchanges, and explore the possibility of opening direct flights between the two countries.
 |
| Both sides agreed to promote exchanges of delegations at all levels, soon open permanent diplomatic missions in each other's capitals, and enhance coordination at multilateral forums and promote ASEAN-GCC cooperation.(Photo: Quang Hoa) |
Affirming that energy and logistics are among the key pillars of cooperation between the two countries, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang proposed that businesses from both countries enhance connectivity and cooperation to ensure a stable, long-term energy supply for Vietnam; explore connecting Oman's deep-water ports with ports in Vietnam. The Deputy Minister proposed that both sides strengthen business-to-business (B2B) connectivity and cooperation, calling on Oman to encourage investors to explore and invest in technology infrastructure projects as well as international financial centres in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang). Additionally, the Deputy Minister hoped Oman would support Vietnam in developing the Halal industry, provide more scholarships for Vietnamese students studying in Oman, and act as a bridge to promote Vietnam-GCC relations, including the early initiation of negotiations for a Vietnam-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Both sides also agreed to promote exchanges of delegations at all levels in the near future, soon open permanent diplomatic missions in each other's capitals; coordinate to connect businesses in the fields of information technology, artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, green transformation, and Halal. They agreed to continue strengthening coordination and mutual support at multilateral, international, and regional forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations; discussed cooperation mechanisms, agreed to enhance effective linkage and cooperation between ASEAN-GCC and Vietnam-GCC, and shared views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
