Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse will pay an official visit to Turkey and attend the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 29 to December 3, at the invitation of the governments of Turkey and the UAE, the Government News quoted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as reporting.

Relations between Vietnam and Turkey have grown remarkably over the past 45 years, with a historic milestone reached in 2017 as two-way trade hit $3.2 billion, making Vietnam the second-largest trading partner of Turkey in ASEAN, after Malaysia.

Due to Covid-19, trade exchange between the two countries dipped to $1.65 billion in 2022.

Data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs shows that in the first four months of 2023, exports to Turkey stood at $642.34 million, a year-on-year increase of 29.7 per cent.

Vietnam’s participation at the upcoming COP28 meeting expresses the country’s commitment to joining the global community in the common fight against climate change.

At COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, Prime Minister Chinh announced Vietnam’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and joined the pledge to reduce global methane emissions in 2030, compared to 2010, the Glasgow declaration on forests and land use, and the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement.

Vietnam’s strong commitments and responsible contributions have been greatly appreciated by the international community, opening new cooperation opportunities in low-emissions growth, promoting the circular economy, and adapting to climate change.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-UAE diplomatic relations. Economic cooperation has always been a crucial pillar and bright spot in bilateral ties.

The UAE is the largest trading partner of Vietnam in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and the seventh-largest importer of Vietnamese goods.

Vietnam’s exports to the UAE last year increased 27.5-fold compared to 2006, and it is now the UAE’s largest trade partner in Southeast Asia.

Some 3,500 Vietnamese citizens are currently working in the country.