CONCEPT PAPER
International Seminar
"Africa
and Middle East’s policies towards Asia
and cooperation opportunities for Vietnam"
(Hanoi, 15/11/2018)
I. Backgrounds:
1. Middle East and Africa is among
the world’s richest region in natural resources with vast and potential markets
and a total population of more than 1.6 billion people. Economies in the region
are actively intergrating into the global economy. In view of Asia’s economic
prospects, which is currently seen as the world growth’s engine, many countries
in the Middle East and Africa have been implementing policies toward Asia or “look
East” policies, strengthening cooperation with emerging countries/economies in
Asia, including Viet Nam, to grasp advantages and seek benefits in cooperation,
especially in terms of markets, capital, technology and human resources...
2. To date, Viet Nam has established diplomatic
relations with all countries in the Middle East and 53/55 countries in Africa.
The multi-faceted cooperation between Viet Nam and the region has developed dramatically.
The two sides have enjoyed an active exchange of visits at different levels. Over the past three years, President Reuven Rivlin of Israel, President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Prime Minister
Binali Yildirim of Turkey, Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario, Deputy
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South
Africa… visited Viet Nam. Two-way trade turnover has increased steadily, reaching
US$18.65 billion in 2017. Of this figure, Viet Nam enjoyed a trade surplus of
nearly US$ 5 billion. UAE, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast and South
Africa are Viet Nam’s biggest trading partners in the region with bilateral
trade reaching over over US$ 1 billion each. Bilatral cooperation in other areas
such as investment, labor export, agriculture, security and defence ... has also
recorded positive results.
3. While many countries in the region are promoting their
policies towards Asia and attaching importance to developing relations with
Viet Nam, it is essential for Vietnamese policymakers, researchers, managers
and especially businesses to understand those policies so as to optimize mutual
benefits of cooperation.
II. Objectives of the Seminar:
- To exchange information and analyse the policies towards Asia of African
and Middle Eastern countries, their impacts on the region in general and Viet Nam
in particular;
- To recommend policies/solutions for businesses to take advantage of
African and Middle Eastern countries’s policy
towards Asia and promote substantial and effective cooperation between Viet Nam
and the region in term of investment, trade, transport, logistics, labour,
education and training, information technology and tourism...
III. Co-organizers:
Institute for Africa and Middle East Studies (Vietnam Academy of Social
Sciences) and Middle East - Africa Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Viet Nam).
IV. Participants:
- International participants:
+ Diplomatic Missions of Middle East and African countries in Ha Noi;
+ Experts, researchers from Turkey, Lebanon, Morocco, South Africa, Nigeria
...
- Vietnamese participants:
+ Ministries/Agencies: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry
and Trade, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and
Social Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Home
Affairs, State Bank of Vietnam; Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(VCCI).
+ Strategic Research Institutes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of
Public Security, Ministry of Defence and research institutes under the Vietnam
Academy of Social Sciences.
+ FPT University, University
of Transport and Communications, Viet
Nam Maritime University, IFI Institute, University of Social Sciences and
Humanities (VNU), Vietnam National University of Agriculture...
+ Vietnamese associations of importers
and exporters; Vietnamese businesses involving in doing business in the region such
as PVN, Viettel, Hapro, FPT...
+ Representatives from airlines,
logistics companies of Vietnam and the region (Emirate Airlines, Etihad Airways,
Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Vietnam Airlines ...).
V. Time, date and venue: From 8.30 am on Thursday, November 15, 2018,
at the Meeting Hall, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, No. 1 Lieu Giai
Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
VI. Tentative program:
- The title of international seminar “Africa
and Middle East’s policies toward Asian and Cooperation Opportunities for
Vietnam”
- Tentative program (attached later)
- Working languages: Vietnamese and English
VII. Costs: registration is free.