Sudan businesses seek Vietnamese partners   Sudan will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses such as Petro Vietnam and the military telecom group Viettel to join investment projects in the host country. (Photo: VNA)                                    A delegation of Sudan businesses operating in the fields of solar energy, lighting, waste water treatment, and agricultural equipment are exploring the investment climate in Vietnam to seek trade and investment partners.  At a business workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on February 11, the delegation head also invited Vietnamese businesses to the country, saying that Sudan is rich in minerals such as gold, bronze, nickel, and oil.  Vice Director of the HCM City Office of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Nguyen The Hung said bilateral trade was kept at an average 20 million USD each year since 2008 and hit 32 million USD in 2014, a year-on-year rise of 65 percent. Vietnam imports iron and steel from Sudan while exporting garment-textile, rice and seafood.  He suggested Sudan create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses such as the National Oil and Gas Group (Petro Vietnam) and the military telecom group Viettel to join investment projects in the host country.  Vietnam and Sudan are implementing effectively a project on rice and other crops production development in Sudan between 2009 and 2015.  The two countries are also working hard to create a direct payment channel between their banks to facilitate bilateral trade activities, and at the same time pushing ahead with negotiations on agreements on double taxation prevention, investment encouragement and protection and visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders.-VNA