(Communicated by the Embassy of Israel, Hanoi)

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely today (August 26, 2015) completed an official visit to Vietnam. This is her first visit to South East Asia since her appointment, and further evidence of Israel's commitment to strengthening the bilateral relationship with Viet Nam.

At her meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Vice Foreign Minister Vu Hong Nam and senior Communist Party members, Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely discussed a variety of political and economic topics, including the promotion of a free trade agreement, reducing barriers for Israeli businessmen, industrial and agricultural R&D agreements, technological cooperation, and new opportunities that will elevate the trade and economic cooperation between Israel and Vietnam to new heights.

During her talks Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely also emphasized the Iranian threat and the problem of the agreement with Iran as well as Iran's continued support for international terrorism. Another issue raised was the importance that these good bilateral relations be reflected in the multilateral arena, against the backdrop of Palestinian efforts to delegitimize Israel in international frameworks.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely visited the dairy demonstration farm in Ho Chi Minh City. Led by MASHAV, the Center for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the dairy farm, which serves as a center of excellence, enables transfer of knowledge and technology to farmers in Vietnam, as well as providing exposure and business opportunities for Israeli agricultural companies.