On September 29, 2025, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van met and worked with Mr. Ahsan Iqbal - Federal Minister in charge of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, and Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Vietnam Kohdayar Marri. Leaders of units under the Ministry of Construction and staff of the Pakistani Embassy in Vietnam also attended the meeting.
At the working session, Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed his delight at visiting and working with the Ministry of Construction and the country of Vietnam – a nation for which he holds great admiration.
Minister Ahsan Iqbal highly appreciated the achievements that Vietnam has attained in its Renovation (Đổi mới) process and socio-economic development over the past decades, particularly the notable accomplishments in developing transportation infrastructure, housing for low- and middle-income urban residents, as well as technical infrastructure supporting economic growth. He also expressed his desire for Vietnam to share its practical experiences so that Pakistan can study and apply them in its own national development process.
overview of working session
To promote bilateral cooperation in the coming time, Minister Ahsan Iqbal proposed the two sides establish a joint expert group to exchange and learn from each other's experiences, particularly in the fields of housing and urban development.
Speaking at the working session, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Tường Văn welcomed Mr. Ahsan Iqbal and the Pakistani delegation on their visit and working session with the Ministry of Construction.
Sharing Vietnam’s experience in urban development and social housing, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Tường Văn emphasized that Vietnam has always paid attention to building and improving institutions and policies in the areas of land, housing, real estate, and urban and rural planning.
Recently, alongside the revision and supplementation of the Land Law, Vietnam has also enacted Housing Law (amended) and Real Estate Business Law (amended), which prioritized the development of social housing; created favorable conditions for low- and middle-income people to have access to suitable homeownership opportunities.
"In 2023, the Prime Minister of Vietnam approved the Project “Investment in the construction of at least 1 million social housing units for low-income earners and industrial park workers for the period 2021–2030, with specific targets of completing approximately 428,000 units during 2021–2025 and about 634,200 units in the 2026–2030 period," Van said. He noted that this is considered one of the government's top-priority policies, demonstrating the strong commitment of the Party and the State to improving housing conditions for workers and low-income earners, ensuring social welfare, and promoting sustainable development.
Agreeing with Minister Ahsan Iqbal's proposal, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Tường Văn assigned relevant departments within the Ministry of Construction including the Department of International Cooperation and the Agency for Housing and Real Estate Market Management to coordinate with the focal point from the Pakistani side to discuss and agree on specific cooperation programs in the near future. This aims to promote friendly and effective collaboration between the two countries in the fields of construction, housing, transportation, and urban development.