Acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (R) and Ambassador of the
Netherlands Elsbeth Akkerman (Photo: VNA)
In her meeting with Elsbeth Akkerman, the new Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam,
Thinh said Vietnam treasures the support Dutch people have provided for the
Asian country. She specifically referred to the Dutch doctors who founded the
Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV) to provide aid to Vietnam during
wartime and who have continued to offer medical help to disadvantaged areas to
this day.
The Order of Friendship awarded by the State of Vietnam to the MCNV
demonstrated Vietnam’s appreciation towards its humanitarian efforts to improve
people’s health, reduce poverty, and sustainably develop the country, she said.
The Acting President also spoke highly of the remarkable progress in
Vietnam-the Netherlands relations in all fields, including strengthened
political trust, adding that the two countries are now important economic,
trade, and investment partners of each other.
She suggested the two sides coordinate more closely and effectively to deepen
their strategic partnership and further step up cooperation in sustainable
development. She also expressed hope that the Netherlands will support the
early signing and ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
Akkerman, for her part, thanked the State of Vietnam for the Order of
Friendship presented to the MCNV. The Netherlands and Vietnam share common
interest in developing agriculture, water management, and sustainable
development which would be ideal areas for further cooperation between the two
countries in the time ahead.
Acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (R) and Ambassador of
Belgium Paul Jansen (Photo: VNA)
Welcoming new Belgian Ambassador Paul Jansen, the Acting President affirmed
that Vietnam attaches importance to bolstering its partnership with Belgium and
that there is plenty of room to further advance cooperation between the two
countries. She asked Jansen to closely work with Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and other agencies to increase high-level visit exchanges between the
two sides during his mission in the country.
Thinh also hailed the effective cooperation between Vietnam and Belgium at
multilateral and international forums, for example, the United Nations, the
International Organisation of La Francophonie, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM),
and ASEAN. She congratulated Belgium on its being elected as a non-permanent
member of the UN Security Council for the 2019-2020 tenure and asked that
Belgium will support Vietnam’s candidacy for the post during the 2020-2021
term.
She expressed her delight at the development of the two nations’ economic,
trade, and investment relations, noting that Vietnam has been making all
possible efforts to enhance the local business climate and accelerate economic
restructuring towards sustainable growth and the reform of State-owned
enterprises.
She conveyed her hopes for Belgium to facilitate businesses from the two sides
to meet and seek partnership in the areas of agriculture, sea port, logistics,
renewable energy, mining, and others, especially given that the conclusion of
the EVFTA will set up appropriate conditions for their firms to expand business.
The Belgian Ambassador lauded the bilateral collaboration in economics,
education, and development in recent years and affirmed his country’s support
for Vietnam’s candidacy to the UN Security Council.
Talking to newly-appointed Danish Ambassador Kim Hojlund Christensen, the
Vietnamese leader said she was pleased to see the significant steps Vietnam and
Denmark have made in cooperation across all fields, especially since the two
countries set up a strategic partnership in climate change, energy, environmental
protection, and green growth in 2011 and lifted it to the level of
comprehensive partnership in 2013.
She looked forward to the continued implementation of the Danish Growth
Strategy for Vietnam and new opportunities that would be created for the two
sides’ business societies when the EVFTA is signed.
Christensen said the establishment of the Vietnam-Denmark Comprehensive
Partnership in 2013 is significant to both sides as they have shifted to
cooperation in multiple areas, such as politics, investment, energy, education,
agriculture, and healthcare.
Vietnam has remained a priority partner to Denmark in development cooperation
and the European country will continue providing support for Vietnam in
agriculture, education, energy, healthcare, and climate change response.
Source: VNA
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