Vietnam Government is willing to create the most favourable conditions for Kazakh enterprises to do business in the country, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh told a business conference in Hanoi on Dec. 31.
Entering Vietnam , a market with approximately 90 million consumers, Kazakh businesses will also have the opportunity to access other large Southeast Asian markets, the deputy PM said.
However, bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in trade and investment, are yet to match the potential and desires of the two countries, he noted.
He called on businesses to seek new co-operation opportunities in a move to further develop the two nations' relationship.
Kazakhstan has paid great attention to cementing relations with Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam , said Kazakh Deputy PM Asset Issekeshev.
He outlined oil and gas, mining, textiles and garments, agriculture, transport and tourism as promising sectors for future bilateral co-operation between the two business communities.
Businesses will play a leading role in raising the level of economic and commercial ties between the two countries, said the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice chairman Vu Tien Loc.
The Vietnam- Kazakhstan Business Council, which was also launched on Oct. 31, will help businesses exchange information and form reliable trade partners as well as explore opportunities for co-operation on trade and investment, Loc said.
Two-way trade reached a modest 44 million USD last year and 26.3 million USD in the first eight months of this year, but Kazakhstan does not have any investment projects in Vietnam.
The forum witnessed a memorandum of understanding inked between PetroVietnam and the Kusto Group of Kazakhstan . The MoU is expected to facilitate the two companies' co-operation in exploring and exploiting oil and gas in Vietnam , Kazakhstan and other countries.
During the event, Vietnam 's Astana Thai Son Co also signed a contract in-principle with Satra Thai Son Joint Stock Co. Under the contract, the two companies will join hands in exporting agricultural and seafood products to Kazakhstan ./.