Israel–Vietnam relations

Israel–Vietnam relations

Israel
Vietnam

Israel–Vietnam relations are foreign relations between Israel and Vietnam.

Vietnam and Israel established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1993. Israel opened its resident embassy in Hanoi in December 1993. The first Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel is Đinh Xuân Lưu. He operates out of the Vietnamese embassy in Tel Aviv.

Diplomatic relations

In 1946, future Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and North Vietnam's Politburo chairman Ho Chi Minh stayed at the same hotel in Paris, and became very friendly.[1][2] Ho Chi Minh offered Ben Gurion a Jewish home-in-exile in Vietnam.[1][2] Ben-Gurion turned the offer down, telling Ho Chi Minh: "I am certain we shall be able to establish a Jewish Government in Palestine."[1][2]

Vietnam and Israel established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1993. Israel opened its resident Embassy in Hanoi in December 1993, with David Matnai appointed as the first Ambassador to Vietnam.[3][4]

The first Vietnamese ambassador to Israel was Đinh Xuân Lưu, who presented his credentials to Israeli President Shimon Peres on July 8, 2009.[5][6] The ambassador operates out of an embassy at 4 Weizman Street in Tel Aviv, Israel, a first since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1993.[6][7] The previous ambassador was a non-resident ambassador, operating from Cairo. At their meeting, President Shimon Peres told the new ambassador: "I congratulate the Vietnamese government on their decision to establish an embassy in Israel. The establishment of an embassy opens a new era in the relationship of the two countries."[8]

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have frequently conducted reciprocal visits at various levels, and have strengthened ties in such fields as business, education, culture, technological cooperation and agriculture. The visits arranged by the Israeli government included those of delegations comprising entrepreneurs and businessmen, academic groups, journalists, artists and musicians, legal workers, and so on.[9]

In January 2010, Luu said that it was key for Israel to increase its cooperation with Vietnam via its strong wherewithal in high-potential high-tech areas such as information technology, aerospace, and biological technologies applied to agriculture to boost farming productivity, which were important areas in Vietnam's modernization.[10][11]

In September 2011, he and Vietnamese Ministry of Defence Deputy Minister Lieutenant General Truong Quang Khanh led a working delegation from the defense ministry in a visit to Israel.[12] In July 2012, he spoke of strong ties between Vietnam and Israel, and the possibilities for initiating future partnerships.[5]

In November 2011, at the invitation of Vietnam's President Truong Tan Sang, Israeli President Shimon Peres had an official visit to Vietnam from the 21st to the 27th, accompanied by Ministers and business delegation. This first high-ranking visit aimed at strengthening and expanding political and economic strategic ties between Israel and Vietnam.[13][14][15]

In September 2012, Luu said that friendship and cooperation between Israel and Vietnam had its roots in a meeting in 1946 between Democratic Republic of Vietnam Prime Minister and President Ho Chi Minh and David Ben-Gurion.[16] He also said that trade between the two countries had risen to $660 million in the first eight months of 2012.[16] He spoke of cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, water technologies, IT, telecommunication, education, and homeland security.[16]

Economic relations

Israeli businessmen have shown considerable interest in Vietnam and organized many business trips to the country to explore investment opportunities in agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, oil and gas exploitation and production, telecommunications, and pharmacy. In August 2004, Israel and Vietnam signed an Agreement of Economic and Trade Cooperation, an important legal basis for the further development of trade. The two-way trade turnover has reached 70 million US dollars in 2005. Two Israeli corporations, Agronet and Astraco, have opened offices in Hanoi.[4][9]

Technology and know-how developed at Kibbutz Afikim will be used in a half-a-billion-dollar milk production project in Vietnam. The project involves establishing a dairy of 30,000 cows to supply 500,000 liters of milk a day, about 40% of Vietnam's present milk consumption. Afikim will be responsible for all stages of the enterprise, including breeding and preparing land for crops that will be used as feed.[17]

The governments of Vietnam and Israel signed an agreement on double tax avoidance in Hanoi on August 4, 2009, creating a transparent and healthy legal environment for their businesses to increase transactions. Signatories to the document were Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Xuan Ha and Israeli Ambassador to Vietnam Effie Ben Matityau. They both stressed the importance of the agreement in promoting economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.[18] Israel and Vietnam are also working on completing a free-trade agreement, that would further enhance the business relationship between the two countries.[19]

The Israeli government has helped train and educate Vietnamese in the science of agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, and dairy milk production. Vietnam, which is now considered one of the leading economies in the developing world, relies part of its success on Israeli technology and agricultural development.[19]

Assistance to Vietnam

Israel has also dispatched many specialists to Vietnam to give in-service training to their Vietnamese colleagues, especially in agriculture. Government officials and professionals from various ministries in Vietnam have visited Israel to study tours as well as for trainings. Various on-the-spot courses have been conducted in various fields, such as agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, dairy milk production and education, under the auspices of MASHAV, the Israeli Center for International Cooperation.[4][9]


Vietnamese refugees arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel, 1977

Technology

A forum to further scientific and technological cooperation between Vietnam and Israel took place in Hanoi on January 18, 2010, drawing the participation of close to 160 businesses from both countries. Speaking at this first forum of its kind in Vietnam, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Pham Gia Tuc, stated that the Vietnamese government sees Israel as an important partner in its policy to boost multi-faceted cooperation with countries in the Middle East.[20]

Political views

Vietnam was worried about the rising tension in the Middle East and condemned Israel for its decision to build new resettlement areas in East Jerusalem, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported, quoting the Ministry of Foreign Affair's spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga as saying, March 26, 2010. In response to a question about Vietnam's reaction to developments in the Middle East, Nga said: "Vietnam supports the statement released on March 19 by the Middle East Quartet (United States, Russia, European Union and United Nations) and calls for restraint from the concerned parties."[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Ben-gurion Reveals Suggestion of North Vietnam’s Communist Leader". Archive.jta.org. November 8, 1966. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "ISRAEL WAS EVERYTHING". New York Times. June 21, 1987. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Panim- Faces of Art and culture in Israel". Mfa.gov.il. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "VIETNAM-ISRAEL RELATIONS – Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Mofa.gov.vn. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Promoting Vietnam’s tourism in Israel". TalkVietnam. July 26, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Vietnamese embassy to open in Israel 8-July-2009". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. July 8, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Vietnam Embassy in Israel – EMBASSY OF THE S. R. OF VIETNAM IN ISRAEL". Embassy of Vietnam in Israel. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  8. ↑ ""Vietnamese embassy to open in Israel for the first time" – Israeli Foreign Ministry". Mfa.gov.il. July 8, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Bilateral Relations: Relations Overview – Israeli Embassy in Hanoi". Hanoi.mfa.gov.il. March 26, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ Ian Chen (January 30, 2010). "Israel, VN to boost IT, bio co-operation | Vietnam". Apecdoc.org. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  11. ↑ Nguyet (January 21, 2010). "Israeli business seeks hi-tech ties with Vietnam". Saigon Times. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Vietnamese defence delegation visits Israel". People’s Army Newspaper. September 16, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  13. ↑ Fay, Greer (November 15, 2011). "Peres plans for Vietnam trip". JPost. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  14. ↑ Fay, Greer (November 25, 2011). "‘Jerusalem of Gold’ follows Peres...". Jpost.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  15. ↑ "President Shimon Peres on official visit to Vietnam". Embassies.gov.il. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Silvia Golan and Bilha Calderon (September 3, 2012). "67th Anniversary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam‏". Diplomacy.co.il. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Afikim tapped to set up giant dairy in Vietnam". Haaretz. March 22, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  18. ↑ Vietnam, Israel sign double tax avoidance deal
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 vietnam ties with israel
  20. ↑ "Vietnam, Israel strengthen cooperation in technology". Individual.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Vietnam blasts Israeli resettlement plan". Vietnamnews.skydoor.net. Retrieved February 10, 2013.

External links