"I welcome the expansion of relations between the Iranian and Vietnamese businessmen while urging the Vietnamese banks to initiate the relations with the Iranian banks," the Vietnamese president said in a meeting with Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Gholamhossein Shafeyee in Hanoi on Thursday.
The Vietnamese president pointed to close relations between Hanoi and Tehran, and said, "We witnessed two good incidents last year; a visit by former Vietnamese President Trương Tấn Sang to Iran and President Rouhani’s visit to Vietnam both of which led to closer relations between the two countries."
Iran can supply export products such as petrochemicals, bitumen, polymers, base oils, building materials and minerals to Vietnam.
Vietnam’s main exported products are footwear, textile and garment, fruits, rubber, coffee, rice, pepper, whereas Iran could provide Vietnam with energy sources.
The presidents of the two countries agreed last year to boost bilateral trade to a level of $2 billion by 2021.