President Peres on state visit to Vietnam boosting Vietnam-Israel economic cooperation

Israeli exports to Vietnam have tripled in recent years
 
The visit, which was held from November 21-27, was the first state visit by a senior Israeli official since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1993.
 
Israeli President Shimon Peres headed a 60-member security and industrial delegation. The group included representatives of leading Israeli infrastructures, communications, finance, high-tech, water technology and agriculture firms.
 
Others include Minister Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Orit Noked and Manufacturers Association President Shraga Brosh. The visit aimed at expanding economic ties between the two nations.
 
According to the Israel Export Institute, Israeli exports to Vietnam have tripled in recent years; at the beginning of 2011 exports reached US$250 million and imports from Vietnam at the end of 2010 reached US$131.9 million.
 
Vietnam exports footwear, garments and agricultural products to Israel, and imports high-tech equipment, chemicals and fertilizers. President Peres met with senior Vietnamese officials, including President Truong Tan San, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Defense Minister Gen. Phung Quang Tranh.
 
Among the bilateral agreements due signed are a financial protocol, a shipping agreement and an agreement between the two countries’ chambers of commerce.
 
As outcomes of Peres' visit, Vietnam and Israel signed an agreement for cooperation on maritime transport, and supplements to the Protocol on financial cooperation; VCCI signed with the Federation of Israeli Economic Organizations (FIEO) a memorandum of understanding, and with the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce (FICC) a cooperative agreement.