Hanoi (VNA) – Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai and a high-ranking delegation from the Vietnamese parliament paid an official visit to Greece from September 30 to October 3 at the invitation of First Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament of Greece Ioannis Plakiotakis.
During his trip, Hai held talks with Plakiotakis; met with Greek Vice President Kostantinos Chatzidakis; had a working session with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece Dimitrios Koutsoumpa; and met with the Vietnamese Embassy's staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Athens.
In the talks with Plakiotakis on September 30, Hai expressed gratitude for Greece’s support for Vietnam during its past struggle for independence, and thanked the Balkan country for donating 250,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses.
He affirmed that Vietnam always attaches much importance to developing the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Greece, laying stress on the Vietnamese State and National Assembly’s determination in deepening the cooperation between the two legislative bodies and the two countries as a whole.
Plakiotakis, for his part, expressed his impression of Vietnam’s remarkable socio-economic development over the past years. He underlined its role as Greece’s leading partner in Southeast Asia, stressing the importance of expanding cooperation in maritime transport, energy, and agriculture, especially under the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
Both sides voiced their delight at the robust partnership between the two parliaments through regular delegation exchanges, and concurred to promote the sharing of legislative experience and develop legal frameworks for collaboration in such potential areas as labour, renewable energy, green transition, digital transformation, fintech, and marine transport.
They also agreed to maintain existing cooperation mechanisms, support each other’s initiatives, and strengthen coordination in multilateral forums for peace, cooperation, and development in the regions and the world.
Hai proposed establishing a formal cooperation agreement between the two legislatures to promote cooperation in a sustainable, effective and substantive manner. He also encouraged localities of both countries to foster partnerships in potential areas aligned with their strengths and development needs, while affirming Vietnam’s readiness to serve as a bridge in strengthening ties between the Hellenic Parliament and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).
Plakiotakis welcomed the establishment of the Vietnam–Greece Friendship Parliamentarians' Group, expressing his belief that it will play a bridging role in deepening the cooperation between the two countries. The two legislators agreed to urge their governments to effectively implement signed cooperation documents, particularly in cultural heritage conservation and tourism management; follow through on commitments reached during recent high-level visits, such as visa exemption for Vietnam’s high-tech personnel and the possible opening of a direct air route between the two countries; and accelerate the signing of new agreements in areas like taxation, labour, and maritime transport to provide a stronger legal framework for bilateral ties.
On October 1, Hai had a meeting with Greek Vice President Konstantinos Chatzidakis, who affirmed that the Greek State always supports and attaches importance to promoting cooperation between the two countries in all fields.
The Vietnamese Vice Chairman suggested that Greece encourage the remaining eight EU parliaments to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), facilitating Greek businesses investing and operating in Vietnam.
Both sides concurred on continuing delegation exchanges and contact at all levels, especially high-level ones; cooperating closely and supporting each other at multilateral and international forums, particularly at the UN and within the ASEAN-EU framework; and boosting bilateral collaboration in culture, locality-to-locality connections, tourism, and heritage preservation. They also pledged to coordinate activities marking the 50th anniversary of the countries' diplomatic ties.
On the occasion, Hai invited Greek leaders to attend the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime to be held in Hanoi on October 25 – 26 this year. Chatzidakis expressed confidence in the event’s success and stressed its importance in contributing to global efforts to address cybercrime.
Agreeing with Hai’s proposals, the Greek Vice President affirmed Vietnam’s important role in Southeast Asia, supporting its role as a bridge to foster cooperation between Vietnam and the EU, and between Greece and ASEAN. He stressed that implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and ratification of EVIPA would benefit both countries. Greece was among the first to ratify the EVIPA and strongly supports its early enforcement.
He also underlined Greece’s close attention to and welcome of Vietnam’s commitments in implementing European Commission’s recommendations against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Recognising vast cooperation potential, especially in infrastructure development, clean energy, and maritime transport, the official stated that Greece encourages the export of its high-quality agricultural products such as honey, meat, and kiwi to Vietnam.
The two sides stressed the importance of upholding international law, ensuring maritime and aviation safety and freedom in the region, and resolving disputes peacefully in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Hai extended an invitation for Chatzidakis to pay an official visit to Vietnam, which the latter gladly accepted.
At his meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitrios Koutsoumpas on October 2, Hai expressed Vietnam’s deep appreciation for the longstanding support of the Greek people and the KKE during the country’s struggle for independence and national development.
He reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance on strengthening friendship, solidarity and cooperation between the CPV and KKE and the people of the two countries, expressed his confidence that with its century-long tradition of resilient struggle, the KKE will continue to enhance its role in Greek politics, and wished its upcoming 22nd Congress success for the benefit of Greek workers and people.
Koutsoumpas extended his sympathy over the losses caused by Typhoon Bualoi in Vietnam, affirmed solidarity with the Vietnamese people, and valued the enduring brotherly ties between the two parties and the people of Greece and Vietnam.
He welcomed Hai's proposals, pledged to promote exchanges and mutual support in multilateral forums, and expressed gratitude for the latter's invitation, voicing his hope to visit Vietnam again soon.
On October 3, Hai and the Vietnamese NA delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Athens, meeting with its staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community.
He commended Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong and the embassy's staff for their contributions in deploying foreign affairs, citizen protection and cultural promotion, and highlighted the role of the community in preserving traditions and fostering Vietnam–Greece ties. Hai briefed the community on the Party and State's major policies regarding overseas Vietnamese and encouraged them to continue unity and contributions as a bridge in the bilateral relations.
During the visit, Hai attended the launch of the Greek edition of “Selected Writings of President Ho Chi Minh, 1920–1960,” translated from English and published in cooperation with local Newstar Group and Vietnam’s World Publishing House.
The delegation also held meetings with President of the Hellenic Court of Audit Sotiria Ntouni, Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in Piraeus Gavriil Petridis, and the Greece–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group.
They also toured the Hellenic Parliament and UNESCO-recognised cultural heritage sites, exchanging views on conservation and cultural preservation./.
