Deputy Foreign Minister tours Ivory Coast   Rice production is one of the cooperation fields between the two sides (Source: VNA) Vietnam and the Republic of Ivory Coast have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between their two foreign ministries. The document was reached on May 21 by Ivory Coast Foreign Minister Charles Koffi Diby and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Phuong Nga, who visited the African country from May 20-22. During her stay, Nga met National Assembly Speaker Guillaume Soro, FM Charles Koffi Diby, Agriculture Minister Sangafowa Coulibaly and Minister of Industry and Trade Jean Louis Billon. She also met representatives from the Vietnamese community in the country. The hosts expressed their admirations for Vietnam’s triumph in its struggle for national liberation and the country’s reform achievements. They said that Vietnam’s success in socio-economic development and Ivory Coast’s peace restoration will allow the two countries to expand their partnership. The African country will continue to coordinate closely with Vietnam at international forums and always backs Vietnam’s viewpoint of solving all disputes by peaceful means. At the meetings, the two sides exchanged views on measures to boost bilateral cooperation in the time to come, including speeding up delegation exchanges and negotiations for an investment encouragement and protection agreement and another on double taxation avoidance. Both reached a consensus on the coordination in organising activities to celebrate the 40 th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties in 2015. During the meeting with Deputy FM Nga, the Vietnamese community there expressed their backing for the State’s policy of determinedly safeguarding the national sovereignty and settling disputes in the East Sea peacefully.-VNA