Welcome ceremony held for PM Pham Minh Chinh in Netherlands hinh anh 1Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh (right) at the welcome ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

The Hague (VNA) - Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte on December 12 hosted an official welcome ceremony for his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh in the city of La Haye.

The Vietnamese PM is being accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, Deputy Minister of National Defence Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Duy Ngoc, and other officials.

After the ceremony, the two Prime Ministers held talks.

The friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands have been developing positively even amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. Exchanges have been regularly held between senior leaders of the two countries, while investment and trade have been enhanced.

Welcome ceremony held for PM Pham Minh Chinh in Netherlands hinh anh 2Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte on December 12 hosted an official welcome ceremony for his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh. (Photo: VNA)

The Netherlands is Vietnam's second largest trading partner in Europe and the largest investor among European Union states. The Dutch government provided one million doses of vaccines and medical equipment for COVID-19 prevention and control, helping to Vietnam control the disease and create conditions for economic recovery.

The official visit to the Netherlands by PM Chinh aims to to elevate the two countries' relations to a new stage of development; reach agreement on orientations and solutions to promote cooperation between the two countries and enhance political trust, contributing to sustainable development and close coordination in response to global challenges./.

VNA