The Slovak government and parliament leaders have viewed the Vietnamese State President’s visit to Slovakia as an important milestone that helps boost bilateral ties in a more practical and effective manner in the coming time.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Parliament Speaker Pavol Paska met with visiting President Nguyen Minh Triet in Bratislava on December 17.

For his part, President Triet said he hoped visits at all levels of the two countries will continue to be exchanged as part of efforts to promote bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding as well as establish trustful relations.

The Vietnamese President again asked Slovak to support Vietnam ’s bids to step up its ties with the European Union and make objective judgments regarding the European Commission’s imposition of anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnam ’s leather-capped shoes.

The same day, President Triet met with former Prime Minister Rudolf Schuster to whom he said the Vietnamese people have been grateful to the Slovak people for offering wholehearted assistance to Vietnam ’s national liberation cause.

Receiving representatives from the Communist Party of Slovakia, the Vietnamese head of state said the Communist Party of Vietnam has placed importance to consolidating and developing its traditional relationship with the Communist Party of Slovakia.

Later on the day, President Nguyen Minh Triet and his Slovak counterpart Ivan Gasparovic attended the Vietnam-Slovakia Business Forum.

Addressing the event, President Triet described President Gasparovic’s presence as an indication of the Slovak leadership’s wish to bring the bilateral wide-ranging relationship to a new height./.