On March 20, President Tran Dai Quang hold talks with his Israeli counterpart Reuven Ruvi Rivlin in Hanoi during which, the Vietnamese State leader highlighted the visit to Vietnam by the Israeli President and his delegation as a great contribution to deepening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The Israeli President expressed delight at his first visit to Vietnam and his admiration for the determination to struggle for national independence and the peace loving spirit of the Vietnamese people.

President Ruvi Rivlin applauded Vietnam's achievements in socio-economic development over the past years while believing that close cooperation between the two governments and businesses will help bilateral economic and trade relations grow faster.

The two leaders noted with their satisfaction the positive development of multi-faceted cooperation across the fields of trade, agriculture, science and technology, and training and voiced their determination to further develop this relationship in the future, especially in economics and science technology.

They set economic ties as a focus and science-technology as a priority pillar in the countries' future cooperation. On that basis, the two sides pledged to accelerate negotiations towards the early conclusion of the Vietnam - Israel Free Trade Agreement to encourage businesses and localities of the two countries to promote trade and investment in areas such as high technology agriculture, human resources training, information and communication technology, and water treatment

The Israeli President pledged to assist Vietnam in dealing with and cleaning up AO contaminated areas In addition, the two leaders also discussed measures to step up cooperation in security-defence,culture, education-training, and tourism as well as cooperation between localities.

On politics, the two sides consented to increase meetings and contacts at all levels to encourage direct cooperation between localities, ministries and sectors and to promote the effective role of bilateral cooperation mechanisms regarding the Intergovernmental committees and political consultations.

Host and guest also exchanged views on the East Sea issue, the Middle East region as well as international issues, emphasising cooperation as an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the world.

Vietnam reaffirms its policy of settling disputes, including those in the East Sea through peaceful means with due respect for diplomatic and legal processes in line with the fundamental principles of International law including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS).

Vietnam desires peace in the Middle East soon, therefore, the country supports every regional and international effort made by concerned parties to bring peace to the region on the basis of international law and UN resolutions aiming to reach a comprehensive, just and sustainable solution towards the establishment of an independent, sovereign, peaceful state of Palestine that co-exists peacefully with the Israeli state, Quang told his guest.

President Quang reiterated Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of being a friend, a reliable partner in the international community, striving for peace, independence and development.

In its foreign policy of diversification and multilateralisation, Vietnam attaches great importance to developing the ties of friendship and cooperation with the Middle East countries, including Israel. Vietnam wants to bring the Vietnam- Israel relations to a higher level, contributing to the development of each country for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Israeli people and for peace and friendship in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the world as a whole.

The Israeli President used the occasion to invite President Quang to visit Israel and his invitation was accepted with pleasure.