video transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began a two-day visit to Vietnam on Friday aimed at bolstering ties between the two countries. Ahmadinejad was welcomed during an official ceremony in the capital Hanoi by Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang. He held meetings with Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The meetings focused on various areas of cooperation - trade, agriculture, cultural and tourism. The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973. Vietnamese government data shows that two-way trade remains relatively small. In 2000 there were 43 million USD in goods traded between the two countries, but the volume had reached 165 million USD in 2011. This visit is expected to open up potential opportunities for the two nations. This is the second visit of an Iranian President to Vietnam during the 40 year long of their political relationship. The first visit was made by President A.H.Rafsanjani in 1995.