NAY PYI TAW, April 5 (NNN-MNA) — The Chairman of Myanmar’s State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Senior General Than Shwe, received the visiting delegation led by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at Zeyathiri Beikman here Friday.

Also present during the call together with the Senior General were SPDC Vice-Chairman Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, SPDC Member General Thura Shwe Mann, Prime Minister General Thein Sein, SPDC Secretary-1 General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo and SPDC Member Lieutenant-General Tin Aye.

Also in attendance were Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Major-General Htay Oo, Minister for Industry-2 Vice-Admiral Soe Thein, Foreign Minister U Nyan Win, National Planning and Economic Development Minister U Soe Tha, Livestock and Fisheries Minister Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein, Finance and Revenue Minister Maj-Gen Hla Tun, Deputy Defence Minister Maj-Gen Aye Myint, Deputy Transport Minister Colonel Nyan Tun Aung and Myanmar’s Ambassador to Vietnam, U Khin Maung Soe.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister and his delegation were accompanied by the Vietnamese Ambassador to Myanmar, Chu Cong Phung, and officials of the embassy.

The two sides exchanged views on further cementing the friendly relations between the two countries and promotion of economic co-operation.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister and party had arrived at Nay Pyi Taw in the morning for a workign visit to Myanmar. Earlier Friday, he met Myanmar Minister General Thein Sein at Zeyathiri Beikman.

Also present were various ministers, deputy ministers, Myanmar’s Ambassador to Vietnam and departmental heads.

The two prime ministers discussed matters on enhancing the existing friendship between the two countries and co-operation in various sectors, boosting mutual collaboration in agriculture, fisheries, finance, transportation, communication, energy, mines, construction, trade and investment sectors. They also frankly exchanged views on international and regional issues.

The two prime ministers issued a joint declaration on bilateral co-operation. Ministers and officials of the two countries signed seven contracts and memoranda of understanding covering investment promotion, fisheries, agriculture, finance, communication and mining sectors.

Deputy Minister for National Planning and Economic Development Col Thurein Zaw presented documents for launching the representative office of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) in Yangon, and Director-General U Tin Naing Tun of the Department of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transport presented papers to the chairman of Vietnam Airlines for formally opeating a Yangon-Hanoi direct flight.

Minister and Chairman of the Government Office of Vietnam Nguyen Huan Phuc presented educational aids worth 100,000 USD to Education Minister Dr Chan Nyein; Chairman of BIDV Tran Bac Ha presented computer sets to Central Equipment Statistics and Inspection Department of the NPED Ministry; and the chief executive officer of the Hoa Sen Group of Vietnam, Le Phuoc Vu, presented 300,000 USD for the Myanmar Football Federation.

Before the meeting, Gen Thein Sein welcomed the Vietnamese Prime Minister and his entourage in front of Zeyathiri Beikman. The two then took the salute and inspected a Guard of Honour.

After arriving in Nay Pyi Taw ine the morning, the Vietnamese Prime Minister and his party visited the Myanmar Gems Museum and viewed the ministries, staff housing, Thiriyadana market, construction of Presidential Residence, Pyithu Hluttaw buildings and International Convention Centre of the capital. — NNN-MNA

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