Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (L) and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Latvia Andrejs Pildegovics (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Latvia Andrejs Pildegovics conducted a political consultation in Hanoi on June 12 under an agreement between the two foreign ministries.
The two sides expressed their delight at good developments in Vietnam – Latvia traditional ties in recent time, laying stress on Vietnam Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh’s visit to Latvia in October last year.
Both officials appreciated the close bilateral collaboration at regional and international forums, particularly at the UN and Asia-Europe Meeting.
Son thanked Latvia for its commitment to backing Vietnam’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 term.
Andrejs Pildegovics affirmed his country’s strong support for the early signing and ratification of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.
The two officials lauded progresses in Vietnam – Latvia economic and trade cooperation.
Vietnam is the biggest trade partner of Latvia in Southeast Asia, while Latvia is the biggest trade partner of Vietnam in the Baltic region. Their two-way trade turnover hit 166 million USD in 2017, ten times higher than that of 2010.
Welcoming the signing of a double taxation avoidance agreement, the sides agreed to soon begin negotiation of cooperation agreements on economics and education between Vietnam and Latvia to complete their legal framework for further growth of bilateral ties across multiple fields.
The officials praised joint work performed between the two foreign ministries, highlighting their maintenance of political consultation and coordination of stance on major international issues. They reached agreement on supporting the settlement of disputes, including the East Sea issue, by peaceful measures based on international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
They agreed on the importance of ensuring security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.-VNA
VNA
