President Iohannis receives Vietnamese PM, Pham Minh Chinh, at Cotroceni Presidential Palace

President Klaus Iohannis – in his last year of office – received the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, at Cotroceni Presidential Palace on Monday.   President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday, during the meeting with the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, that Romania supports the expansion and diversification of the agenda of the EU-Vietnam, respectively EU-ASEAN relationship, in order to strengthen political cooperation on topics of global interest.The Romanian President received Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Cotroceni Palace, on the occasion of his visit to our country. The most recent meeting between the two dignitaries took place in September 2023, in New York, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations' General Assembly."The President of Romania supported the exploitation of the true potential of Romanian-Vietnamese economic relations, welcoming the organization, in the context of the Vietnamese dignitary's visit to our country, of an economic forum. Also, President Klaus Iohannis emphasized the interest in the further development of cooperation bilateral relations in the field of education, as an essential part on which the bilateral dialogue is based. In terms of the relationship with the European Union, the President of Romania showed that our country supports the expansion and diversification of the agenda of the EU-Vietnam, respectively EU-ASEAN relationship, in order to strengthen political cooperation on topics of global interest", informs the Presidential Administration.The two officials emphasized the importance of the relationship between Romania and Vietnam, this state being "one of the traditional and important partners" of our country in Southeast Asia. President Iohannis pleaded for the consolidation of high-level dialogue and sectoral cooperation, appreciating that the visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh represents "a new opportunity to boost" the development of bilateral relations in all areas of common interest.During the discussions, topics on the international agenda were also addressed, including Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the South China Sea, the conflict in Gaza, the situation generated by the Houthi attacks on maritime transport in the Red Sea and the fight against climate change.President Iohannis presented the support measures adopted by Romania since the outbreak of Russia's war against Ukraine. Regarding the situation in the Middle East, he reiterated our country's support for the two-state solution."Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh confirmed the importance that the Vietnamese authorities attach to the relations between Romania and Vietnam, based on the strong ties that have marked the more than seven decades of diplomatic relations. The Vietnamese official highlighted the potential for development and diversification of the fields of cooperation bilaterally, in addition to consolidating high-level political dialogue, evoking existing cooperation opportunities in the economic and educational fields. The Vietnamese Prime Minister thanked Romania for its support during our country's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which was decisive for the finalization of the negotiations of the EU-Vietnam agreements on free trade and investment protection", states the Presidential Administration.