HA NOI — A meeting of the Inter-Government Committee between Viet Nam and Uzbekistan on economic, trade, scientific and technological co-operation was held yesterday in Ha Noi.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Danh Vinh led the Vietnamese delegation and Deputy Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade Nasridin Nazhimov led the Uzbekistan delegation.

At the meeting, the two sides exchanged information on socio-economic development, and introduced the investment environments and potential of each nation.

The two sides said they wanted to cooperate in light industry, leather tanning, footwear, silk production, and the construction of materials and other commodities.

The two sides agreed to co-operate in agriculture, and expressed the two governments’ wishes to co-operate in oil and gas exploration, banking, culture, sports, tourism and training.

The two sides agreed that with bilateral trade turnover last year gaining only US$6 million, it did not meet the potential and demands of each side. Viet Nam now imports cotton, fibre, silk, equipment and fertiliser from Uzbekistan and exports fishery products, fruits, vegetables, medicines, rice, tea and coffee.

The two sides agreed to exchange information on their investment environments, foreign trade, as well as the export capacity of each country.

The meeting ends today. — VNS