October 25, 2003	Saturday	Sha’aban 28, 1424

ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: Pakistan and Vietnam will strive to enhance bilateral trade, it was agreed during a meeting between Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and the Vietnamese Vice Minister of Trade, Mr Do Nhu Dinh, now in Pakistan, here on Friday.

Aziz assured the visitors that avoidance of double taxation treaty would be expedited by Pakistan.

While informing Mr Dinh about the excellent facilities for training in banking available in Pakistan, he offered to train bankers from Vietnam.

Mr Dinh has come to Pakistan at the head of a high-powered delegation which also includes Mr Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Trade Policy Department for South West Asia and Africa, Ministry of Trade; Mr Do Khac Hung, Deputy Director of the Foreign Relations Department, State Bank of Vietnam; Mr Ngo Khai Hoan, Expert of the Foreign Trade Policy, Department for South West Asia and Africa, Ministry of Trade, and Secretary of Economic Affairs Division etc.

Appreciating that the Pak-Vietnam trade had grown and that a number of visits had been exchanged over the past three years, Aziz said the two countries had a lot in common. Both countries were undertaking economic reforms, with Pakistan having achieved “unprecedented macroeconomic stability”.

There were a lot of opportunities for both countries to benefit from each other’s experience as well as to increase bilateral trade. They could also collaborate in the manufacturing of textiles, the finance minister suggested.

In this regard, he underlined the usefulness of the forum of Joint Economic Commission for increasing the private sector contacts. He was also satisfied to note that the Vietnamese delegation included representatives of private sector.