During a reception in Hanoi onFebruary 13 for Greek Foreign Minister N. Kotzias, Phuc said given the 40-yearcooperation since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, the twocountries need to facilitate visits at all levels and channels, thereby raisingmutual understanding and collaboration in potential fields between the twonations.
Vietnam highly values Greece’ssupport for the development of Vietnam-EU ties and the Greek legislature’sapproval of the Vietnam-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, he said,suggesting Greece back the early signing and adoption of the EU-Vietnam FreeTrade Agreement (EVFTA).
He expressed his hope that Greecewill support Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue, including the settlementof the East Sea issue by peaceful means, including diplomatic and legalmeasures; the objection to the use of force or threat to use force; and theserious abidance by international law, including the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to maintaining peace,stability and development in the region.
Kotzias, for his part, said Greeceholds great potential of goods transit thanks to its geographical location asan important gateway from Asia to Europe.
He affirmed that Greece backsVietnam’s strengthening of ties with the EU as well as Vietnam-Greece ties inshipbuilding and culture.
Informing the host of theoutcomes of his talks with Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, he said both sidesdiscussed measures to reinforce bilateral links in diverse areas.
The two countries will continueworking closely together within the framework of multilateral cooperationmechanisms, he said.-VNA