Prime Minister wraps up tour of Europe

PM Pham Minh Chinh (centre) speaks at a discussion on lessons from ASEAN at the WEF Annual Meeting 2024. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, hisspouse, and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived back in Hanoi on January23, concluding a tour of Europe from January 16 to 23 to attend the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and pay officialvisits to Hungary and Romania.

Engaging in more than 30 activities during his two-day stayin Davos, PM Chinh attended the WEF’s Country Strategic Dialogue on Vietnam anda dialogue on Vietnam’s global vision, while also delivering remarks at otherevents of the WEF Annual Meeting.

The events left strong impression on participants about thecountry’s outstanding socio-economic achievements, development orientations andstrategies, foreign policy of independence and self-reliance, and responsibleand effective contributions to regional and global peace and development.

Onthis occasion, he also had over 20 meetings withleaders of countries, international organisations, and major enterprises tofurther intensify relations with partners in various areas, especially economy,trade, investment, science, technology, digital transformation, greentransition, health care, and intellectual property.

The meeting between PM Pham Minh Chinh and Hungarian President Katalin Novak in Budapest on January 19. (Photo: VNA)

Meanwhile,during the official visits to Hungary and Romania, PM Chinh took part in over30 meetings with all high-ranking leaders of the States, Governments, parliaments,and political parties of the two countries. He also delivered policy speechesat universities, took part in business forums, met with the two countries’friendship associations with Vietnam, talked to the Vietnamese communities, andvisited some economic and scientific - and technical establishments there.

Vietnamand the two European countries agreed to augment cooperation in all spheres. Whilethe Vietnamese side expressed the readiness to serve as a bridge linkingHungary and Romania with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), thelatter two said they will also help connect Vietnam with Europe.

Vietnamand the European countries also agreed to fully implement the EU - Vietnam FreeTrade Agreement (EVFTA) and persuade the remainders to ratify the EU - Vietnam InvestmentProtection Agreement (EVIPA).

The meeting between PM Pham Minh Chinh and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest on January 22. (Photo: VNA)

A number of cooperationdocuments in multiple fields were signed during the visits, including nearly 30on cooperation in education - training between Vietnamese universities andtraining institutions of the two countries.

TheGovernment leader also met with the Vietnamese communities in Hungary andRomania.

The official visits marked importantmilestones in the Vietnam - Hungary comprehensive partnership and the Vietnam -Romania traditional and friendly partnership. They consolidated political trustand foster all-round cooperation in a more result-oriented manner for the sakeof each country’s prosperity and for regional and global peace, stability,cooperation, and development./.

VNA