HANOI: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Vietnam Friday on the first visit by an
Iranian president in 17 years, as the sanctions-hit Islamic republic seeks to
strengthen ties with allies outside the West.
Ahmadinejad, making a two-day
stop in Hanoi on the way home from the Bali Democracy Forum, discussed economic
links and other potential areas of cooperation with President Truong Tan Sang.
Speaking to reporters afterwards,
Ahmadinejad hailed the "very friendly" relations between the two
countries and said both sides aimed to strengthen their bilateral ties.
"We are determined to extend
cooperation in different fields, including (the) economy, agriculture,
industry, science and technology, culture, tourism and sport," he said,
speaking through an interpreter.
It is the highest-level Iranian
visit since 1995 to the communist nation, which is generally seen as supportive
of Tehran's right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Sang said cooperation between the
two countries would be "accelerated" in the future. Ahmadinejad was
also due to meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for talks on trade and
investment.
The two countries -- which
established diplomatic ties in 1973 -- have previously signed a range of agreements
to cooperate on oil and gas and infrastructure projects.
Iran is struggling under tough
Western sanctions over its controversial nuclear activities. A shortage of
foreign currency caused a plunge in the value of the Iranian rial last month.
Western powers suspect Tehran is
using the programme to develop atomic weapons capability. Iran denies that and
says its nuclear activities are purely peaceful.
A Hanoi-based diplomat said
Ahmadinejad's visit was an attempt to seek diplomatic and economic support from
a friendly nation but "lacked substance" as Vietnam is not in a
position to help much given its own economic woes.
- AFP/fa
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