HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and Kazakhstan are entering a pivotal phase in their bilateral relationship, marked by a renewed commitment to economic cooperation and mutual development. 

This momentum was highlighted during the Việt Nam – Kazakhstan Business Roundtable held in Astana (Kazakhstan) on Tuesday with the participation of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Tô Lâm during his State visit.

Addressing the forum, he emphasised the complementary nature of the two nations' economies. 

“Both Việt Nam and Kazakhstan have open economies where exports play a crucial role,” he said, underscoring the two countries shared adaptability to international trade principles. 

Both countries are members of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Việt Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Kazakhstan, providing a favourable framework to enhance bilateral trade and investment.

General Secretary Tô Lâm noted that during the official visit of Kazakhstan's President to Việt Nam in August 2023, the two sides signed a Joint Action Plan to accelerate economic and trade cooperation. Vietnamese airlines, including Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, are actively promoting the launch of direct flights between Việt Nam and Kazakhstan.

Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Yermek Kosherbayev echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the significant achievements in political, cultural and technological cooperation between the two countries. 

However, he pointed out that economic and trade relations had yet to reach their full potential. Kosherbayev highlighted opportunities for Vietnamese investors in Kazakhstan, particularly in establishing joint ventures in agricultural production and processing, adopting water-saving technologies and advancing digital infrastructure. 

He also mentioned Kazakhstan's plans to launch a National Artificial Intelligence Centre, aiming to drive innovation in this sector.

As a leading nation in information technology services, Kazakhstan proposed enhancing cooperation with Việt Nam in developing e-government, sharing advanced experiences, deploying next-generation digital services and integrating AI into state management processes.

Deputy Prime Minister Kosherbayev called on Vietnamese partners to fully exploit existing potential to develop business in Kazakhstan. 

He affirmed that the Kazakh government was committed to being a reliable and stable partner, expressing confidence that bilateral cooperation would continue to grow, opening new opportunities to strengthen relations, expand trade and foster innovation.

For his part, General Secretary Tô Lâm stressed Việt Nam's commitment to creating favourable conditions for Kazakh investors to invest and conduct business successfully in the country, viewing the success of Kazakh enterprises as Việt Nam's own success.

The roundtable discussions also touched upon the development of financial hubs in both countries. 

Kazakhstan's successful operation of the Astana International Financial Centre serves as a model, while Việt Nam is in the process of developing financial centres in HCM City and Đà Nẵng. 

These initiatives are expected to facilitate greater financial cooperation and investment flows between the two nations.

Participating in this roundtable, the Vietnamese delegation included enterprises with strengths in sectors that align with Kazakhstan’s needs and cooperation potential, such as oil and gas, agriculture, minerals, chemicals, tourism, textiles and garments, among others.

The business communities of both countries exchanged and shared strategic directions, as well as explored cooperation opportunities for mutual development. Their efforts aim to contribute to shared prosperity and further strengthen the longstanding and positive bilateral relationship. — BIZHUB/VNS

Việt Nam and Kazakhstan announce key partnerships General Secretary Tô Lâm, Deputy Prime Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn witnessed the signing of cooperation documents between the two countries: The Ministry of Finance of Việt Nam granted an overseas investment certificate to Aviation Holdings, a subsidiary of Vietjet Air, to acquire shares in Qazaq Air. This initiative is part of Vietjet Air's strategy to expand internationally and strengthen bilateral aviation and economic ties. Vietjet Air and Qazaq Air signed a franchise agreement to jointly develop and operate Vietjet Qazaqstan, a new low-cost airline aimed at connecting Kazakhstan with Việt Nam and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Vietjet Qazaqstan and Boeing entered into a framework agreement for technical support for its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, covering software, spare parts, training and maintenance. Additionally, Mareven Food, a Vietnamese company in Kazakhstan, donated ten ambulances to the Kazakhstan government. — BIZHUB/VNS