PM pushes forward energy cooperation with UAE after high-level talks

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received UAE Ambassador to Vietnam Bader Abdullah Almatrooshi in Hanoi on March 17 to advance the implementation of outcomes from his recent phone talks with the UAE President, including enhanced cooperation in ensuring energy security.

Welcoming the ambassador during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Prime Minister extended his best wishes to the ambassador, his family, and the people of the UAE. He also sent his congratulations and thanks to the UAE President and Vice President for their efforts in promoting bilateral relations.

The Prime Minister appreciated the ambassador’s contributions to bilateral ties, noting that the two countries have established a Comprehensive Partnership and signed Vietnam’s first and only Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in the Middle East.

Vietnam–UAE relations have continued to grow, with the UAE now Vietnam’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and a potential investor. For Vietnam, the UAE is not only an important economic partner but also a sincere and reliable friend sharing common values of peace, cooperation, and prosperity.

Sharing Vietnam’s past losses and suffering caused by war, PM Chinh expressed concern over the current developments in the UAE and the broader Middle East region. He reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance that disputes and conflicts must be resolved through peaceful means, including dialogue and negotiation, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter. He stressed that Vietnam stands ready to cooperate with the UAE and contribute to efforts to maintain peace and stability in each country and the region.

Recalling his frank, sincere, and successful phone talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Prime Minister called on the ambassador to closely coordinate with the Vietnamese side to promptly implement key agreements reached.

These include supplying oil and gas to Vietnam as needed, ensuring “safety and timeliness”; advancing steps to upgrade bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership; and promoting priority areas such as accelerating negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), strengthening cooperation in developing an international financial centre in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, and concretising cooperation agreements between businesses and localities of both countries.

PM Chinh also urged stronger cooperation in trade and investment, expressing hope for more major UAE enterprises to invest in Vietnam, particularly in science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, high technology, infrastructure, and logistics, with landmark projects symbolising bilateral ties. He also highlighted the importance of business connectivity, economic linkages, and cooperation in labour, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

Emphasising the importance of agreements reached during the phone talks, the Prime Minister said these are immediate responses to negative impacts of ongoing conflicts and reflect responsible and trustworthy cooperation between the two countries. He expressed confidence that peace and stability will soon be restored in the Middle East.

For his part, Ambassador Bader Abdullah Almatrooshi welcomed the positive outcomes of the recent phone talks, describing them as a reflection of strong mutual trust, and commended the Prime Minister’s efforts in fostering bilateral ties.

Bilateral trade reached nearly 6.546 billion USD in 2025. Investment flows and business cooperation from the UAE to Vietnam have shown positive momentum. Notably, in February 2026, the UAE’s G42 and ADQ announced a 1-billion-USD data centre project in Ho Chi Minh City in partnership with FPT, VinaCapital, and Viet Thai. Several Vietnamese firms, including VinFast, FPT, and Viettel, have also established offices in the UAE.

Thanking the Prime Minister for sharing insights on the Middle East situation, the ambassador expressed high consensus with his views and reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations, including oil supply cooperation, financial investment in Vietnam’s international financial centre, and key projects in high technology, infrastructure, and logistics.

He also pledged to accelerate negotiations on the Vietnam–GCC FTA and work towards achieving a bilateral trade target of 10 billion USD in the near future, as agreed by PM Chinh and President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan./.