Obasanjo in Asia for summit
2005-04-18 08:51
Hanoi - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo held talks with Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong on Monday on ways to boost co-operation, especially in the areas of economy and trade, foreign ministry officials said.
The two sides are seeking to share experiences in economic development and poverty reduction, and discussed measures to promote coordination in international fora, they said.
Luong and Obasanjo will be attending the Asia-Africa summit in Indonesia later this week.
Up to 50 heads of state are expected to converge on Jakarta and the nearby city of Bandung from April 22 to 23 for the 50th anniversary of the Asia-Africa summit, which was first held in 1955.
Trade between Vietnam and Nigeria, with populations of more than 80 million and 130 million respectively, is still modest, reaching a mere $25m in 2004.
Vietnam plans to open a commercial representative office in Lagos, Nigeria's commerical capital, with a view to boosting its rice exports.
Trade turnover between Vietnam and African countries as a whole rose from $200m in 2000 to $560m in 2004, according to Vietnam's trade ministry.