The two Prime Ministers  lay wreaths at the monument for fallen soldiers (Source: VNA)

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung arrived at Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algiers capital city on May 31, beginning an official visit at the invitation of his Algerian counterpart Abdelmalek Sellal.

Following an official welcome ceremony chaired by Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, the two Prime Ministers laid wreaths at the monument for fallen soldiers and visited the veterans’ museum in Algiers.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung is scheduled to call at the Algeria International Fair and attend the Vietnam-Algeria business dialogue the same day.

Algeria and Vietnam formed diplomatic ties on October 28, 1962. Vietnam opened an embassy in Algiers a month later, while Algeria set up its embassy in Hanoi in April 1968.

Vietnam’s major currency earners in Algerian trade include coffee, rice, phones and spare parts. In the first quarter of this year, exports to Algeria rose by 1 percent compared to last year to 68.6 million USD, including 35.27 million USD from phones and spare parts, 18.24 million USD from coffee and 2.6 million USD from rice. Algeria is currently Vietnam’s third largest African importer.

In terms of investment, the PetroVietnam is conducting oil exploration and exploitation missions in Algeria and is expected to start commercial operations this June. Nearly 1,200 Vietnamese workers work for contractors from Japan and China in the African country.

The two countries have signed dozens of agreements and memoranda of understanding on economic, sci-tech, trade, maritime transport, health care and education cooperation.

Source: vietnam+