Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attended the second Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on March 26 and met with international politicians on the sidelines of the event.

In a meeting with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, Dung said the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and France has been growing well towards a “strategic partnership”.

The two government leaders agreed to exchange more high-ranking delegations in the next two years and enhance economic cooperation, particularly in energy, aeronautics, transport infrastructure, education and training.

Dung thanked the French Government for donating 100 million EUR in to build the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, which was seen as a symbol of friendship between the countries.

The French Government leader promised to grant more post-graduate scholarships to the university and help train its lecturers.

Fillon also said France supports Vietnam ’s hosting the Francophone Summit in 2014.

In another meeting with German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle, the Vietnamese PM shared his sympathy over the sudden death of German ambassador to Hanoi Claus Wunderlich last month, appreciating the diplomat’s contributions to promoting the establishment of the bilateral strategic partnership.

The two sides agreed to continue cooperating to effectively implement the strategic partnership agreements.

Showing his gratitude towards the official development assistance granted by the German government, Dung spoke highly of the effects of Germany ’s aid on the environment, sustainable development and health care.

The two sides appreciated the Vietnam-Germany University project. The German foreign minister asked relevant organisations to further discuss the possibility of the two governments’ co-sponsoring the university.

The Vietnamese PM also met with Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal on the sidelines of the world’s event. The two expressed their happiness over bilateral ties, particularly in coping with climate change and managing water resources.

The Dutch politician confirmed his Government’s commitment to supporting Vietnam ’s capacity building in international laws, especially marine laws. He said the Netherlands will soon select Vietnamese applicants to research marine law in his country.-VNA