Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Secretary of State at the Polish President’s Chancellery Krzysztof Szczerski (Source: VNA) Meeting Deputy Prime Minister andForeign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi on December 16, Szczerski said Polandbacks Vietnam’s strengthening of ties with the European Union (EU) and willpush for the signing of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement.
Deputy PM Minh, for his part, madeit clear that Vietnam treasures the development of friendship and long-standingcooperation with Poland.
He agreed with the guest on closerliaison to prepare for the Vietnam visit by the Polish President next year.
The host suggested establishing anInter-Governmental Committee on economic cooperation and signing a frameworkagreement on financial cooperation, under which Poland will supply apreferential credit package worth 250 million EUR to Vietnam.
Both sides pledged to continuerefining a legal framework for bilateral cooperation and signing cooperationagreements on customs, aviation, tertiary education and scientific research.
Poland is now Vietnam’s largesttrade partner in the Central Eastern Europe. Two-way trade in the first 10months of this year hit 655 million USD, up 5 percent annually. In terms ofinvestment, the European country now has 12 projects in Vietnam worth 138.8million USD.
On region and global issues ofshared concern, Szczerski expressed his support of Vietnam’s viewpoint onsettling disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means in line with internationallaw, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,ensuring security, safety and freedom of maritime and aviation activities inthe East Sea.
During the stay in Vietnam, thePolish Secretary of State held talks with Chairman of the Presidential OfficeDao Viet Trung and visited several economic and cultural establishments inHanoi./.
VNA
