Singapore (VNA) - Vietnam and Jordan are looking to step up investment aswell as trade in areas of potential such as tourism and Halal food production, ameeting in Singapore heard.

The meetingbetween Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tao Thi Thanh Huong and JordanianAmbassador to Singapore and Vietnam Mahmoud Hmoud was held at the Vietnamese Embassyon February 23 to discuss ways to boost bilateral relations.

Huong briefedher guest on the results of the 13th National Congress of theCommunist Party of Vietnam, which concluded earlier this month, and the country’ssuccess in maintaining positive economic growth and responding to COVID-19 lastyear.

Hmoud, forhis part, said he expects Jordan and Vietnam will continue fostering bilateralcooperation in trade and investment. Jordan has introduced a number ofincentives for foreign investors at industrial parks, he said, adding that the countryhas also signed free trade agreements with various Middle East and Africancountries, paving the way for enterprises from foreign countries to access thesemarkets via Jordan.

He alsonoted that Jordanian firms show a high level of interest in Vietnam as a major marketwith an open economy.

The twoambassadors agreed that bilateral ties in trade and investment have fallenshort of potential and that the two sides should accelerate partnerships via discussionson agreements regarding double taxation avoidance and business visas.

Both agreedthat Vietnam and Jordan need to increase the exchange of business and officialdelegations. Once COVID-19 has been fully brought under control, high-level visitswill help intensify economic cooperation between the two sides. In the short term,online meetings between businesses from both countries are perfectlyfeasible, they said.

Huongreaffirmed that the embassy will made all possible effort to work with the JordanianEmbassy to strengthen bilateral economic, trade, and investment cooperation./.