Serbian President to prioritise cooperation with Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has said one of the priorities of his country is further developing its traditional cooperation with Vietnam in various fields.

The President made the remark at a reception for the Vietnamese Ambassador to Romania and Serbia Tran Thanh Cong on April 11, after the ambassador presented his credentials.

He proposed the two countries continue with mutual support at international forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations.

He confirmed to create the best conditions for the new Ambassador to fulfill his mission, saying he believes the Vietnamese diplomat will make practical contributions to the sound relations between Vietnam and Serbia.

For his part, Ambassador Cong expressed his optimism in the two countries’ cooperation potentials, especially in the fields of their strength such as coloured metallurgy, petrochemicals, food processing, medicine, agriculture, tourism and education.

He suggested the two nations push ahead with negotiations to sign bilateral agreements on economic cooperation, investment encouragement and protection, and culture and educational collaboration.

The Ambassador later met with Serbian Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Goran Aleksic; Director of the Department for Asia, Australia and the Pacific under the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aleksandar Jankovic; and Vice President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Veljko Jovanovic to discuss how to strengthen the two countries’ cooperative ties.

During the working sessions, the Ambassador said the signing of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the establishment of the 600 million strong ASEAN Economic Community at the end of 2015, will create enormous opportunities for foreign businesses, including those from Serbia .

He added that Vietnam is willing to serve as a bridge to help Serbia make inroads into Asian markets.-VNA