The Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands has launched a series of activities to celebrate the 40 th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the European country.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Huynh Minh Chinh noted with pleasure the two countries’ achievements over the past years, such as the establishment of a strategic partnership in water and water management and agreements in key fields to utilise each side’s strength in all-around economic cooperation.

The two Governments have specified five key areas of economic cooperation and reached a consensus on links in energy, maritime transport and sea ports, Chinh said.

According to the Ambassador, two-way trade surged from 1.68 billion USD in 2009 to 3.2 billion in 2012. On top of this, Dutch technology in agriculture, water and water management, maritime transport, logistics, shipbuilding, metallurgy and vocational training has contributed to improving Vietnam ’s competitiveness, especially in industry and services.

Activities scheduled for 2013 include the exchange of high-ranking visits between the two nations, plus economic, trade and cultural events like investment promotions to make the most of both countries’ position as gateways to European and ASEAN markets.-VNA