Meeting of Mr. Sakellaropoulou with the President of Vietnam: The wide field of strengthening the bilateral cooperation was confirmed

The bilateral relations between Greece and Vietnam, as well as the international issues of mutual interest were at the center of the meeting that the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou had with the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Swan Fuk, in the framework of the official visit. Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Andreas Katsaniotis.

During her welcoming ceremony, Mrs. Sakellaropoulou laid a wreath at the Monument to National Heroes and Martyrs and visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. She was then welcomed by the President of the country at the Presidential Palace and followed by extended talks of the delegations.

In her statements, Ms. Sakellaropoulou stressed that there is a wide field for strengthening the cooperation between Greece and Vietnam, as well as a willingness for both sides to work in this direction.

As he said “I hope that my presence will give further impetus to bilateral relations and will launch more high-level contacts, as a long time has passed – almost 14 years – since the last visit of the President of the Hellenic Republic to Vietnam”.

At the same time, he stressed that he had the opportunity to hold interesting talks, including with the President of the country, on all aspects of our bilateral relations, as well as on issues of mutual interest from the international scene.

He also expressed his support for the authorities and the people of Vietnam for their efforts to tackle the pandemic, which have already yielded significant results. Citing a saying by Vietnam’s historic leader Ho Chi Minh, “the storm is a good opportunity for pine and cypress to show their strength and resilience,” he said, adding that the people of Vietnam and the rest of the world could come out stronger from this adventure.

He also stressed that despite the geographical distance, Greece and Vietnam face similar international challenges, which they approach on the basis of the same principles: the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, as well as the rejection of violence and the threat of use of force in international relations. .

We reiterated the strong support of the two countries in the faithful implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Law of the Sea -UNCLOS- and our commitment to maritime safety and freedom of navigation.

“We agreed that there is a wide scope for strengthening bilateral cooperation between Greece and Vietnam in areas such as political consultations, trade, culture and tourism. In particular, in terms of economic relations, we welcomed their steady growth in recent years. However, We reiterated the desire of our countries to take advantage of the significant scope for expanding trade, especially after the entry into force of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, and Greece attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation with Vietnam, “Infrastructure, energy, shipping, food, sport and education,” she said.

He also expressed the belief that there is considerable scope for strengthening cooperation within international organizations, including mutual support for candidatures.

“In terms of international issues, I reiterated our country’s growing interest in the geostrategic zone of Southeast Asia. I expressed my appreciation for Vietnam’s important role in the wider region, with a constructive participation in regional structures and organizations, such as ASEAN,” he added.

In the same context, he argued that Greece, as a factor of stability and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean, supports the vision of an open Indo-Pacific, based on the principles of international law and in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“In this spirit, I had the opportunity to emphasize to my interlocutors the need for all Eastern Mediterranean countries, including Turkey, to refrain from illegal and destabilizing actions and to contribute responsibly to resolving problems and avoiding confrontation,” she said. Mrs. Sakellaropoulou.

Finally, he reiterated the Greek positions on the ongoing Russian military offensive in Ukraine with serious consequences at the global level.

For his part, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Swan Fuk, after welcoming the President of the Hellenic Republic, referred to his country’s close ties with Greece and stressed that her visit marks a new phase in the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. of two peoples.

Referring to his meeting with Ms. Sakellaropoulou, he spoke of an open, honest and constructive discussion and stressed that they agreed on further support of bilateral relations, while also addressing regional and international issues of mutual interest, recalling that Greece for about fifty years, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1975.

He then thanked the State and the people of Greece for their valuable contribution to the people of Vietnam during its struggle for independence in the past and its efforts today for national reconstruction and development. “Working on these foundations, in recent years the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Greece have yielded excellent results, overall and at all levels. We have also established a new framework and guidelines for our future cooperation in areas such as economy, culture, sports and education “, he noted.

Regarding politics, he noted that they had the opportunity to exchange views and discuss measures to exploit the potential and advantages of the two countries. These include the most frequent political meetings and exchanges of delegations at all levels. “In the pandemic of Covid 19 we saw the support of Greece to Vietnam. We must say that our economic relations are also excellent, with the trade volume in 2021 amounting to 500 million dollars, ie an increase of 33% compared to 2020. We must always consider the potential and benefits of our political and economic cooperation, also given the EFTA agreement, ie the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. “Great incentives, which gives us a lot of opportunities, especially in the volume of bilateral trade, which can be further strengthened, since our economies are complementary and not competitive,” he added.

He also thanked the Greek Parliament for the ratification of the Investment Protection Agreement between the member states of the European Union and Vietnam and argued that in this way we will be able to take advantage of the best opportunities for the benefit of our two countries and possibilities offered by agreements such as the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and the shipping agreement.

“Both sides will continue to encourage and facilitate cooperation between our business communities in areas of interest and importance, such as shipbuilding, tourism, agriculture and shipping, so that we can achieve the best possible result,” he said. for both sides “.

He also mentioned the need to strengthen cooperation in multilateral and international fora, such as the UN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union and ASEM. “We also agreed that it is very important to respect international law, especially UNCLOS 1982. As an active and responsible member of ASEAN, Vietnam has always supported the strengthening of relations between ASEAN and the European Union, and between ASEAN members and Greece, as well as “We also discussed how we can support the Vietnamese community in Greece and vice versa, so that the best possible conditions apply for the benefit of our countries’ prosperity,” he added. .

Concluding, the President of Vietnam said that the outcome of the talks today will contribute to the effectiveness and essence of the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Greece, both in the interest of our countries and in the interest of peace and stability of the region and the world.

This was followed by a visit by Mrs. Sakellaropoulou to the Temple of Literature and the Headquarters of the Communist Party of the country, where she met with the General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ