Cooperation is strategic to Ukraine and Vietnam, according to Yulia Kovaliv, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

Kovaliv, also Co-Chairperson of the Ukraine-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee, said Ukraine will make the maximum effort to accelerate the two countries’ cooperation.

She has recently granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency speaking about the two countries’ cooperation prospects and Ukraine’s current economic performance.

Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Yulia Kovaliv. Photo: Vietnam+

She said she pins her hope on the upcoming meeting of the Ukraine-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee, which is within this year, expecting that a playing ground will be created for businesses of both sides.

She named agriculture, energy, industry, aviation and machinery manufacturing as prioritized sectors for bilateral cooperation in 2016.

In addition, transportation, infrastructure, science and technology, education and tourism are potential, the Ukrainian official said.

Two-way trade between Ukraine and Vietnam reached 340 million USD in 2015, a decrease of 18 percent compared to 2014.

Regarding Ukraine’s economic situation, the deputy minister said the country’s industrial growth increased 7 percent in February.

In 2016, Ukraine’s GDP is expected to grow 1 percent and inflation rate is to go down to about 12 percent from over 40 percent in 2015.

Source: VNA