Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (L) and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA) During his stay in Vietnam, Bettel held talks with hisVietnamese counterpart Chinh, witnessed the signing of cooperation documents infinance, including an agreement on strategic partnership in green financebetween the two countries’ finance ministries, met with the press on outcomesof the talks, had a meeting with National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, andvisited the Temple of Literature and the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
The PM also visited Ho Chi Minh City, attendedand delivered a speech at the Vietnam-Luxembourg Business Forum, visited the HoChi Minh Stock Exchange and the War Remnants Museum, and scoped out climatechange impacts in the area along Sai Gon River.
During the meetings, the two sides affirmed their wishand determination to advance the bilateral relationship to a new development period,making it more intensive, extensive and substantive.
They agreed on measures to enhance the political trustand deepen the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the twocountries such as increasing all-level delegation exchanges, effectivelyimplementing bilateral cooperation mechanisms and establishing new ones, andpushing ahead with the construction of logistics centres.
The Luxembourg PM consented to effectively and fully materialisingthe EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in order to boost bilateral trade,and to urge other EU countries to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment ProtectionAgreement (EVIPA).
The leader also noted his support for EU-Vietnamcooperation in sustainable fishery, and the EC to remove its '”yellow card”warning on Vietnamese seafood at an early date.
Apart from green finance, the two sides concurred to stepup collaboration in culture, science-technology, information-communications,people-to-people exchange, tourism, and climate change response.
Regarding regional and international issues of sharedconcern, they affirmed their further coordination and mutual support atmultilateral forums and international organisations such as ASEAN-EUcooperation, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the United Nations, especiallyat the time when both countries are members of the UN Human Rights Council, contributingto peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
On the East Sea issue, they reiterated the importanceof ensuring peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation andaviation in the East Sea, neither using force nor threatening to use force, andsettling disputes by peaceful measures in line with international law,particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The two sides expressed their support for the earlyapproval of a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) inaccordance with international law.
Following the visit to Luxembourg by PM Chinh in December2022, PM Bettel’s official visit to Vietnam demonstrates the two countries’ resolveto work together in elevating the bilateral cooperation to a new height./.
VNA
