New impetus to promote cooperation between Vietnam and Finland and Bulgaria

General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation, have just successfully concluded their official visits to Finland and Bulgaria. On this occasion, Comrade Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave an interview to the press about the results of the visit.

General Secretary To Lam and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev held official talks. (Photo: THONG NHAT/VNA)

Reporter: Could you please tell us about the outstanding results achieved during the official visit to Finland and Bulgaria by General Secretary To Lam?

Minister Le Hoai Trung: The visit of General Secretary To Lam and his wife along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation is not only the first historic visit of our General Secretary to Finland since the two countries established diplomatic relations (in 1973) and Bulgaria since the regime change (in 1990), but also the first visit of our Party leader to the Northern Europe and Balkan region, affirming Vietnam's interest in promoting cooperation with traditional friends and with this region.

The visit was a great success with many important activities, including talks and meetings with Presidents, Prime Ministers, and leaders of the National Assemblies of various countries, meetings and contacts with political parties, representatives of mass organizations, friendship organizations, businesses, representatives of the Vietnamese community in Northern Europe and the Balkans, and many important documents were signed.

In recent days, the high-ranking leaders and people of Finland and Bulgaria have given General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, a warm and cordial welcome with many exceptions. We have relived the atmosphere and sentiments of the people of the Eastern European and Northern European socialist countries who enthusiastically support the Vietnamese people. During the meetings, the high-ranking leaders of the countries expressed their impressions of Vietnam's great achievements in all aspects as well as their respect for Vietnam's position and role in the Asia-Pacific region.

It can be affirmed that the visit achieved the following extremely important results:

Firstly, on the basis of political trust and increasingly substantive cooperation, Vietnam and the countries have agreed to establish the Vietnam-Finland and Vietnam-Bulgaria Strategic Partnerships. These new cooperation frameworks have made Finland and Bulgaria Vietnam's first Strategic Partners in the Nordic and Balkan regions, affirming Vietnam's special regard for the region and traditional friends, further promoting the good traditional relationship, opening a new stage of development for the relationship between Vietnam and the two countries, promoting extensive, substantive and effective cooperation in all fields.

President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb and his wife hosted the official welcoming ceremony for General Secretary To Lam and his wife during their official visit to the Republic of Finland. (Photo: THONG NHAT/VNA)

Second, during the visit, General Secretary To Lam and the leaders of Finland and Bulgaria prioritized spending a lot of time discussing strategic measures, identifying pillars of cooperation commensurate with the new level of bilateral relations, thereby creating a new impetus to strongly promote bilateral cooperation, meeting new requirements in the new development stage of Vietnam and the two countries and in the context of the rapidly evolving and complicated international situation.

Throughout important foreign affairs activities with senior leaders of Finland and Bulgaria, General Secretary To Lam asked countries with a voice to urge the remaining 7 EU countries to soon ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) as well as actively acknowledge and support the process of improving law enforcement and transparency in fisheries exploitation in Vietnam, thereby urging the EC to soon remove the IUU yellow card for Vietnam's seafood exports.

Third, General Secretary To Lam had in-depth discussions with senior leaders of Finland and Bulgaria on regional and international situations of mutual concern, in which they affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world; supported the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of respect for international law, called for restraint and an end to conflicts; and agreed to coordinate to contribute to strengthening peace, stability and security in the regions and the world.

Fourth, the visit has contributed to promoting the close relationship between the Vietnamese people and the people of traditional friendly countries, as well as the spirit of solidarity and attachment of Vietnamese people not only in Finland and Bulgaria, but also in countries in the region with their homeland.

Overall, the visit continued to actively implement the foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification, promoting harmonious relations with partners in other regions, demonstrating Vietnam's foreign policy as well as its consistent diplomatic identity. The visit also consolidated a favorable foreign situation; mobilized resources for development, especially in new areas and enhanced the position of the Party and the country.

Reporter: Could you please tell us about the major directions for implementing the results achieved during the recent working trip to Finland and Bulgaria?

Minister Le Hoai Trung: With the above important results, it can be said that the General Secretary's official visit to Finland and Bulgaria is of great significance and opens a new chapter in the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam-Finland and Vietnam-Bulgaria.

The visit also strongly conveyed Vietnam's policy message to international friends in the following three aspects: First, on the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, proactiveness, active and comprehensive international integration, and promoting an active and responsible role towards the international community in the new era. Second, affirming that Vietnam always consistently prioritizes and maintains and develops relations with traditional friends. And third, promoting extensive and substantive cooperation with important partners in Europe, including EU partners.

The General Secretary's official visit to Finland and Bulgaria is of great significance and opens a new chapter in the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam-Finland and Vietnam-Bulgaria.

In the coming time, promoting the results of the visit, on the basis of unity and synchronization between ministries, departments, branches and localities, Vietnam will, together with Finland and Bulgaria, effectively implement the results of the visit, especially the Joint Statement on establishing strategic partnerships with countries, focusing on the following four key areas:

Firstly, synchronously and comprehensively implement the content of the Joint Statement on establishing strategic partnerships with countries, especially enhancing high political trust, commensurate with the current stature of the relationship through promoting contacts and exchanges of high-level delegations and comprehensive delegations at all levels through Party, State, National Assembly channels and people-to-people exchanges, within bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

Second, focus on promoting cooperation in areas of each country's strengths such as digital economy, green economy, circular economy, science and technology... with Finland; information technology, cyber security, e-government, public administration... with Bulgaria, thereby bringing Vietnam's strategic partnership with other countries into greater depth, practicality, and meeting the interests of each side.

Third, Vietnam, Finland and Bulgaria will continue to closely coordinate at international and regional forums to contribute to peace, stability and development in the two regions and the world...

Fourth, implement measures to improve the effectiveness of other important aspects of work such as cultural exchange, honoring President Ho Chi Minh, and work with Vietnamese people in other countries, thereby further promoting the role of these areas to promote friendship, understanding, and increasingly deep and close cooperation between us and other countries.

Reporter: Thank you very much, Minister!

Source: https://nhandan.vn/xung-luc-moi-thuc-day-quan-he-hop-tac-giua-viet-nam-voi-phan-lan-va-bulgaria-post918064.html