The agreement was reached at the June 26 working session in Cairo between a Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Duong Quang and the Egyptian Ministry of Commerce.

The session discussed cooperative opportunities in industry, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and pharmaceutical products between the two countries.

Deputy Minister Quang said Vietnam wishes to promote two-way trade with Egypt , while the host officials said Egypt wants to learn from Vietnam ’s experience in boosting exports.

Two-way trade between the two countries reached about 300 million USD in 2012, representing a year-on-year rise of 12 percent, with Vietnam exporting more than 297 million USD worth of goods to Egypt , up 16 percent.

The Deputy Minister proposed that the two sides actively prepare for the fifth meeting of the Vietnam-Egypt Intergovernmental Committee and organise activities to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.

Vietnam is willing to share its experience in areas that Egypt wants to focus on, he said, suggesting that the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese Trade Office in Cairo should work as a bridge for trade links and cooperation between the two countries.

Marawan Bard, a representative from the Egyptian Ministry of Commerce, called on Vietnamese businesses to invest in his country and engage in joint ventures with Egyptian partners in export processing.

He introduced the country’s export processing zones which are located in favourable geographical conditions linking with Africa , Asia and Europe , and suggested that Vietnam take part in export and production activities in Egypt through tri-party deals.

Before Egypt, the Vietnamese delegation made a trip to Israel from June 22-25, during which they worked with the Israel Ministries of Economy and Environmental Protection and organised a gathering for the two countries’ businesses.

After Egypt, the delegation will visit Sudan where they are scheduled to have working sessions with relevant ministries and branches to explore the country’s trade mechanisms, policies and market.