Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen (L) chairs an official welcome ceremony for President Vo Van Thuong (Photo: VNA) Vienna (VNA) – Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen chaired an official welcome ceremony for President Vo Van Thuong ofVietnam at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna on July 24 morning.
After the welcome ceremony, President Thuong andhis Austrian counterpart held talks.
Followingthe talks, the two Presidents are scheduled to hold a joint press conferenceand witness the signing of cooperative documents between the two countries.
Austria is one of the first European countries to establish diplomaticrelationship with Vietnam. The relations between the two countries aredeveloping soundly in various aspects. The two countries have maintainedcontact and exchange of all-level delegations.
Vietnam is the biggest trade partner of Austria in the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN).
Regarding bilateral relations, Vietnamese Ambassador toAustria Nguyen Trung Kien said that the relationship between Vietnam andAustria is one of the important relations in Vietnam's ties with Europe. In1972, Austria was one of the first European nations to set up diplomaticrelations with Vietnam. Since then, the two countries have deepened theircooperation in all fields, from politics to economy, trade, investment, cultureand education.
Austria is always among Vietnam’s top 10 tradingpartners in the EU, with two-way trade reaching nearly 4 billion USD before theCOVID-19 pandemic broke out.
Austrian Ambassador to Vietnam Hans-PeterGlanzer said visits at a high political level are so important for fostering bilateralrelations that have been resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said he sees greatpotential for further deepening the friendly relations, for example in economicfields and education./.
VNA
