The Vietnam embassy marked the 73rd anniversary of the National Day of Vietnam at a reception on Friday. 
Vietnamese ambassador Nguyen Dinh Thao, senior diplomats and officers and a number of community members took part.
The envoy stressed the achievements of Vietnam in many fields, economy and business in particular, while focusing on the importance of the already excellent Vietnamese-Qatari relationships, as it grows from strength to strength each year.
" As we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Qatar in 2018, we are expecting many delegations and visits to further strengthen and enhance the relations between the two countries. Most importantly, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is planning to visit Vietnam in late 2018 and both countries are making preparations to ensure the success of such a historic visit," said the ambassador.
He pointed out that in 2017, the total trade between the two countries reached around $300mn and said it is expected to further increase in the near future. Construction Development Company from Qatar holds more than 70% capital in the $311.9mn seaport and industrial park complex in Quang Yen province of Quang Ninh. 
"This co-operation will open for Vietnam-Qatar much more opportunities in construction, investment relations. Qatar Airways is also planning to open directs flights to Da Nang in the Central Vietnam, in addition to the flights which have already been established to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city," the ambassador said.
He said that other co-operation fields include Qatar Petroleum (QP) signing an agreement to supply Vietnam with up to 2mn tonnes per year of LPG and naphtha. The agreement will commence with the start of Vietnam’s first green-field petrochemical complex, which is being constructed on Long Son Island. 
"Tourism in Vietnam is one of the areas which we are looking forward to strengthen and develop in the upcoming time. Along with tourism, investment in real estate in Vietnam like luxury hotels, resorts is one of the new areas for Qatari investors to explore as real estate markets in Vietnam saw growth in the past few years," Nguyen stressed.
The ambassador hoped that the Gulf crisis would be resolved soon peacefully, based on the respect to sovereignty of countries and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. 
He further praised the role of Qatar in combating terrorism worldwide, stressing that the country has "made great contributions to the security and stability in the region as well as in the world."
He said "Qatar has played an active role in backing UN efforts to support peace-building and sustainability; the country has also financed many humanitarian projects including the ones in Gaza. Such activities should be appreciated."
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