Vietnam always attaches great importance to relations with traditional friends including Slovakia and will try its best to strengthen and further develop the fine relations between the two countries.

The firm statement was made by Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in a meeting with visiting Slovak National Council Speaker Pavol Paska and his delegation in Hanoi on January 27.

On the same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem received Paska at the Government’s Office.

Current bilateral relations still fall below the potential of each country, said Khiem at the meeting, and urged Paska to join efforts to soon set up an inter-governmental cooperation committee.

The establishment of the committee, together with the opening of the Vietnamese Embassy in Slovakia, will raise the two countries’ cooperation to a new height, affirmed the Deputy PM.

For his part, Paska was of the view that the opening of a direct air route linking the two countries’ capitals will help contribute to boosting bilateral trade and multifaceted cooperation.

During the visit, a joint Vietnam-Slovakia business exchange was held in Hanoi to increase economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Duc Kien said that it is time for the business communities of the two countries to boost investment cooperation.

He said he hoped that businesses would discuss specific measures to this end, as well as establish partnerships on entering the huge European and ASEAN markets.

Slovakia and Vietnam can cooperate in energy, transport, health care and national defence, said Paska.
Slovakia supports bilateral cooperation and it believes that such cooperation will bring about good results, the speaker affirmed./.