News - Middle East: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has hailed the friendly ties between the Islamic Republic and Vietnam, saying the two countries have agreed to expand their cooperation in various fields.

Qalibaf made the remarks at a joint press conference with Chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue in the capital, Tehran, on Tuesday, after the two officials held talks on a range of political and economic issues.
He went on to say that during the meeting, the two sides emphasized the need for the establishment of joint committees between Iran and Vietnam to boost cooperation in economic, fishery, health and medical sectors.
Qalibaf also noted that the two sides have reached agreements on customs and not collecting taxes on imported goods, stressing the need to accelerate their implementation.
He further pointed to an agreement on easing the visa regime between the two countries, saying direct flights between Tehran and Hanoi will be launched soon.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian parliament speaker described Hue’s trip to Iran as a turning point in the development of ties between the two nations in various economic, cultural and social fields.
He further said a top foreign policy priority of Iran is to pay a special attention to East Asia and expand ties with the countries of that region.
Hue, for his part, appreciated his Iranian counterpart for inviting him to travel to Iran, expressing hope that the trip would help further strengthen the ties between Iran and Vietnam.
He also lauded Iran’s significant role in West Asia, adding that Hanoi pays attention to the promotion of collaboration between the two countries in various parliamentary, governmental, municipality and friendship groups.
At the end of the press conference, the two top parliamentarians signed a memorandum of understanding on parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
Iran and Vietnam established relations in 1973 and since then the two countries have increased political and economic cooperation through exchange of visits by senior officials from both sides.