Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Nikolaos Kotzias (Source: VNA)During their talks in Hanoi on February 13, Kotzias said Greece appreciates Vietnam’sincreasingly important role in the region and the world and the country’s achievementsin national defence and socio-economic development.
Minh expressed his belief that Kotzias's current visit to Vietnam will contributes to deepening friendship and cooperationbetween the two countries.
The two sides expressed their joy at fruitful cooperation betweenVietnam and Greece since former President Nguyen Minh Triet’s trip to Greece andformer Greek President Karolos Papoulias’s visit to Vietnam, in 2008.
They discussed how to further promote cooperation between the two countries,focusing on enhancing all-level visits and effectively deploying cooperationmechanisms like political consultationbetween the two foreign ministries.
Theyagreed to continue encouraging and making it easier for the two countries’ businesscommunities to foster partnership and share experience, especially in terms ofship building and repairing, maritime shipping service, seaport exploitation and logisticsservice, education-training, culture and heritage preservation.
The two sides were unanimous in accelerating negotiations to soon conclude agreements on avoidance of double taxation, maritime transport, and visa exemptionfor diplomatic passport holders.
Minhand Kotzias also compared their notes on international and regionalissues of common concern, and agreed to continuecoordinating closely at international and regional forums, especially at theUnited Nations, the ASEAN-EU, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).
As an ASEAN member, Vietnam will help Greece expand cooperation with the grouping and its other member nations,Minh said, whilst Kotzias affirmed that Greece backsVietnam to boost comprehensive relations with the European Union (EU).
Afterthe talks, the two officials met with media to inform the resultsof their talks.-VNA
VNA
