HCMC – Vietnam and Slovakia will work toward strengthening relations in different fields, especially trade and investment, as agreed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico at a meeting in Hanoi on July 18.
Fico is visiting Vietnam until on July 19 at the invitation of PM Phuc to seek to boost bilateral cooperation. They reached a consensus on improving the operation of the joint committee on economic cooperation.
As reported by Chinhphu.vn, the two leaders agreed to create favorable conditions for businesses from the two countries to set up partnerships and gauge markets, especially in infrastructure construction, food processing, pharmaceutical, urban planning, public transport, environmental protection and water resource management.
The two PMs said economic and trade links between Vietnam and Slovakia had been growing steadily in recent years with annual two-way trade averaging around US$300 million. But Slovakia’s direct investments in Vietnam remain modest with only five valid projects while Vietnam has just one investment project in the European country.
The two countries will also foster cooperation in national defense and security, culture, education-training and science-technology.
The visiting PM affirmed that Slovakia supports enhancement of relations between Vietnam and the European Union (EU) and the signing and ratification of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement. He also pledged to boost the EU’s early recognition of Vietnam as a market economy.
Regarding the East Sea issue, both Phuc and Fico shared concerns over recent developments in the East Sea. They underscored the need to resolve disputes via peaceful means and in line international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), seriously observe the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and work toward adopting a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
According to Phuc, the Vietnam visit by Fico will help deepen the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries.
After their talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation deals in the fields of transport, information and communications, investment and education before meeting the media.
One of those cooperation agreements involved FPT Group and Slovakia’s information technology company Gratex International. With this cooperation, both sides will join hands to expand business globally, firstly in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.
FPT also struck another deal with the Institute of Informatics, Slovak Academy of Sciences at the Vietnam-Slovakia Business Forum organized on July 18 to research and develop information technology products.
On the same day, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Tran Dai Quang, Chair of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan had separate meetings with Fico.
At the meeting with Fico, Trong requested Slovakia to continue backing the position of Vietnam and ASEAN on the East Sea issue.
For his part, Fico said Slovakia would promote the implementation of cooperation agreements between the two countries, boost EU-Vietnam relations and closely coordinate with Vietnam in international forums.
At the reception for Fico, Quang said Vietnam always provides favorable conditions for Slovak enterprises to do business in Vietnam.
Vietnam, Slovakia seek to advance ties
