(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Dung arrived on Monday, (31 March, 2008) on a four-day official visit to Israel, as head of the official Vietnamese delegation to the annual political dialog between the Israeli and Vietnamese foreign ministries. The dialogue this year was held in Jerusalem.
Within the framework of the visit, Deputy FM Vu officially announced the Vietnamese government's intention to open an embassy in Israel in a few months time. Israel and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1993. The Israeli embassy is located in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, while Vietnamese interests in Israel are currently represented by the Vietnamese embassy in Cairo.
During his visit to Israel, Deputy FM Vu met with Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni (1 April), and informed her of the Vietnamese decision to establish an embassy in Israel. He also expressed his country's aspiration of strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries. FM Livni praised the Vietnamese decision, and expressed her hope that the prevailing good relationship will grow and develop in the future.
Deputy FM Vu extended an official invitation to FM Livni to visit Vietnam from Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Gia Khiem.