NEW YORK — Vietnamese President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc had bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Mongolia, Switzerland and Austria, and President of the European Council (EC) in New York on September 22 (local time) on the sidelines of the United Nations' General Assembly.
At the meeting with Mongolian President Ukhnaagin Khurelsukh, the two leaders affirmed that they always attach great importance to the bilateral friendship, as well as the mutual support and assistance during the past struggles for national liberation and the current process of national construction.
President Phúc said he is willing to coordinate with President Khurelsukh and the two countries’ ministries and sectors to find appropriate measures to further develop bilateral cooperation in more fields. He proposed both sides work together to create favourable conditions for the export of each country's products so as to achieve the goal of US$100 million in two-way trade.
They agreed to continue maintaining and promoting the exchange of delegations at all levels and meetings through different forms, increasing the role of the intergovernmental committee, stepping up cooperation between the two countries’ ministries and sectors, flexibly deploying existing bilateral dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges, thus facilitating collaboration in all fields.
During the meeting with Swiss President Guy Parmelin, the Swiss leader affirmed his desire to promote economic and trade ties with Việt Nam, speed up the implementation of the development cooperation programme for 2021-24 with an ODA capital of $80 million that Switzerland has committed.
The two leaders agreed to find solutions to restore trade exchanges, which have been strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the signing of a free trade agreement between Việt Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
President Phúc thanked the Swiss Government for presenting Việt Nam with medical equipment for COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.
Appreciating Switzerland’s provision of ODA in human resource training, urban development, poverty alleviation, and rural development, he stated that Việt Nam hopes to continue receiving the European country’s ODA through development projects for the next period.
He also expressed his wish to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation.
At his meeting with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, President Phúc invited the Austrian leader to visit Việt Nam in 2022 when the two countries will celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties.
The two leaders agreed that economic partnership has been the focus of bilateral cooperation in recent years. The two sides should soon organise the 10th meeting of the Việt Nam-Austria Joint Committee, even in an online format, they said.
President Phúc pledged that Việt Nam will create favourable conditions for Austrian firms to conduct long-term business in Việt Nam.
The Vietnamese leader suggested Austria create favourable conditions for Việt Nam in cooperating in vaccine production technology transfer, while considering the provision of medical supplies to help the country overcome the pandemic quickly.
Meeting with President of the European Council Charles Michel, President Phúc affirmed that the European Union (EU) is one of the leading partners in Việt Nam’s foreign policy, underlining Việt Nam’s hope to further deepen ties with the EU.
He thanked the EU for its assistance to Việt Nam in responding to COVID-19. Noting that the pandemic is developing in a complex manner in the country, President Phúc said he hoped that the EU will continue to support Việt Nam in accessing vaccine sources, treatment medicines and medical supplies.
The two leaders highly valued the bilateral economic partnership, describing it as a bright sport in Việt Nam-EU relations. They agreed to resume the exchange of delegations and high-level meetings soon, while optimising the efficiency of existing cooperation and dialogue mechanisms, and seeking measures to further promote bilateral relations.
President Phúc proposed the EU urge its member nations to promptly complete procedures to ratify the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
The Vietnamese leader also suggested leaders of the countries to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese communities to effectively integrate in the host societies and make contributions to the development of the host nations, and help promote connections between Việt Nam and the countries where they live.
President Phúc and the foreign leaders also discussed the regional and international situation as well as the significance of building an efficient multilateral system with the UN as the core, aiming to respond to diverse and complicated global challenges as, fight abuse of power, promote the observance of international law, and ensure security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in seas, including the South China Sea (called East Sea in Việt Nam). — VNS