Austrian President Heinz Fischer said he believes Vietnam will overcome any difficulties and challenges to develop further in the future.

The Austrian president made the remark at a reception for Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Vu Viet Anh who presented his letter of credential to the President on December 3.

President Heinz Fischer recalled good impressions of the Austria visit by Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet in June 2008 and his own official visit to Vietnam in May 2012.

He expressed pleasure at the growing multi-faceted friendship and cooperation between the two countries, with increasing two-way trade and more Austrian businesses keen to invest in Vietnam .

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, two-way trade between Vietnam and Austria exceeded one billion USD for the first time in 2013.

The Vietnamese Ambassador updated the host on the situation in Vietnam and pledged to do his utmost to nurture the friendship and cooperation between the two countries during his tenure.-VNA