Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Jussi Halla-aho.
Speaking at the reception, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his belief that the visit would be a great success, creating momentum to promote the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Finland. The Prime Minister informed the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament about Vietnam's foreign policy as well as its policies and achievements in socio -economic development; and congratulated the Finnish people on the development achievements they have made in recent times, becoming the greenest and happiest country in the world.
The Prime Minister asked the Finnish Parliament to support the European Commission (EC) in soon removing the "yellow card" (IUU) for Vietnamese seafood; urged the parliaments of EU member states to soon ratify the Vietnam - EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and believed that EVIPA will help businesses of each country access each other's and the regional markets.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the two sides study new educational cooperation potentials in vocational training, share experiences in building a high-quality education system, and create conditions to expand student exchanges; thanked and requested the Finnish Government and Parliament to continue to pay attention and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to live, work and study stably in Finland, contributing to promoting the role of a bridge of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
National Assembly Speaker Jussi Halla-Aho congratulated Vietnam on its continued impressive achievements in economic and social development and its growing role in the international arena. He assessed that Vietnam had risen from the ashes of war and from an aid recipient to an equal cooperation partner of Finland.
Speaker of the National Assembly Jussi Halla-Aho affirmed that Finland considers Vietnam its most important economic partner in ASEAN and wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam to maximize the great potential between the two countries. Finland will accompany Vietnam in realizing its strong aspiration to become a high-income country in the coming years.
The Speaker of the Finnish Parliament said that Finland is implementing a Talent Promotion Program, welcoming highly skilled workers and students from Vietnam to work and study in Finland; at the same time, highly appreciating the integration of the Vietnamese community in Finland, actively contributing to the development of the host country, being one of the most respected foreign communities in Finland.
The two leaders highly appreciated the positive developments in cooperation between the two countries in all fields; agreed to continue to work together to find new directions, new ways of doing things and new momentum to deepen bilateral relations. The two sides agreed to promote delegation exchanges and high-level contacts through all Party, State and National Assembly channels to increase political trust; and strengthen close cooperation at multilateral forums for the purpose of ensuring stability, peace and sustainable development.
Regarding the pillar of economic cooperation, the two sides welcomed the remarkable development of bilateral trade and investment cooperation, but it is not commensurate with the potential. Therefore, the two countries will continue to facilitate and encourage the connection of businesses and investors, exploiting the maximum benefits from the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), especially in areas of both sides' needs and strengths such as high technology, green development, environment, agriculture, forestry, information technology, etc.
Regarding development cooperation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Jussi Halla-Aho agreed that the two sides will continue to closely coordinate and effectively implement the Framework Agreement between the two governments on projects funded under the Finnish Public Investment Program, focusing on priorities to enhance the competitiveness of the private economic sector, develop the knowledge-based economy, respond to challenges of sustainable development and climate change, and develop the Mekong Delta sustainably. The Finnish National Assembly Chairman also pledged to do his utmost to promote the removal of the IUU yellow card for Vietnamese seafood.
Discussing international and regional issues of mutual concern, the two sides agreed to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolve disputes by peaceful means, and respect international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Speaker of the Finnish Parliament supported the stance and viewpoint of ASEAN and Vietnam on the East Sea issue, including ensuring safety and freedom of navigation and aviation; supported the efforts of ASEAN and China to effectively and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Source
Comment (0)