Foreign Affairs minister Nikos Kotzias hosts Vietnamese peer, discuss bilateral relations

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias met on Monday with Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh, who is reciprocating a visit of the Greek minister in Hanoi in February 2017.

The two officials’ meeting was followed by a working lunch and culminated in the signature of an agreement that abolishes the need for visas on diplomatic passports.

Talks focused on economic collaboration, and the Vietnamese official extended an invitation to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to visit Hanoi.

The two ministers agreed to host annual meetings in each country to collaborate on trade issues, encourage business forums in both countries (especially in the technology sector) and support each other in each one’s bid for a seat as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

They also made special note of bilateral cooperation to promote Vietnam’s interests in the European Union, with Pham Binh Minh expressing his country’s appreciation “for Greece’s support in the formal signing and ratification of the free-trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam.”

The visiting minister also called on both governments to “encourage and assist the business community of their countries and promote collaboration in shipping, which is a significant sector in both Vietnam and Greece.”

Source: AMNA