Vietnam attaches great importance to promoting its beneficial cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its member countries, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said.

He made the comments during a meeting with GCC Secretary General Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi in Saudi Arabia as part of his trip to the Middle East country to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - GCC (ASEAN-GCC) Summit and to pay an official visit to the country.

Vietnam stands ready to play a bridging role in promoting cooperation between ASEAN and the GCC - two dynamic and rapidly-developing regions in the world - for peace, stability, and development across the globe, he said.

Mr. Al-Budaiwi affirmed that all six Gulf countries have maintained good relations with Vietnam and the two sides still have a lot of potential for cooperation, adding that the GCC Secretariat will actively help Vietnam boost cooperation with Gulf countries in areas where both sides have strengths.

On the same day, Prime Minister Chinh witnessed the signing of an MoU on cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the GCC Secretariat.