Nhận định, soi kèo Esteghlal FC vs Al Nassr, 23h00 ngày 3/3: Cửa trên đáng tin

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (left) meets with Secretary of the Yunnan provincial Party Committee Wang Ning. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s participation at the 10th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit aims to send out the message that Việt Namconsistently values and contributes to promoting cooperation mechanisms in the Mekong sub-region, creating breakthroughs for the development of sub-regional cooperation in the new period.

The trip affirms Việt Nam’s external policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and diversification of international relations, and being a friend, trustworthy partner, and responsible member of the international community.

According to Deputy Foreign Minister Phạm Thanh Bình, this is an important opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate its willingness to cooperate in a spirit of openness, enhance mutual understanding, and deepen the friendly relations with member countries, as well as promote comprehensive economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

The leader will focus on promoting cooperation areas that align with Việt Nam's development priorities in the new context. This includes strengthening traditional advantages such as the import and export of goods and services, enhancing infrastructure connectivity, and ensuring the sustainable and efficient management of trans-boundary water resources.

Việt Nam will actively seek resources to tap significant potential in science and technology, innovation, smart solutions, digital transformation, and green transition, all aimed at supporting its socio-economic development and fulfilling its commitments to sustainable development and emissions reduction, the official said.

The country officially joined the ACMECS at its first summit in Thailand in November 2004. Over the past 20 years, Việt Nam has consistently regarded ACMECS as a strategically important cooperation mechanism with a close link to Việt Nam's key international partners.

An active and responsible member, Việt Nam has made significant contributions to ACMECS cooperation. With its position as the eastern gateway of the Mekong sub-region, it is an indispensable factor in the economic corridors of the region.

Việt Nam has proposed and implemented many new ideas, while making contributions to the development of important documents and the shaping and promotion of initiatives, and supporting the development of member countries, including human resources development and infrastructure building. The country has also played the role of the coordinator in several specialised areas of cooperation and carried out numerous practical activities that have helped foster comprehensive cooperation among the five countries.

Việt Nam has hosted two editions of the ACMECS Summit in 2008 and 2016. In the third ACMECS Summit in Hà Nội in November 2008, it proposed the establishment of the ACMECS Working Group on Environmental Cooperation, for which Việt Nam plays the role of a co-chair.

At the seventh ACMECS Summit in Hà Nội in October 2016, participants adopted the Hà Nội Declaration, agreeing to promote ACMECS' priority areas of future cooperation, including transportation, trade and investment facilitation, industry, tourism, agriculture, and the environment. Notably, they committed to enhancing cooperation to improve multimodal transport connectivity and maximise the use of road transport networks and economic corridors.

Việt Nam has conducted procedures to announce its financial contribution plan for the ACMECS Development Fund, thus promoting the early establishment of the fund, ensuring the effective implementation of projects in the ACMECS Master Plan, bringing practical benefits to the people and economies of ACMECS as well as the sustainable development of the sub-region. — VNS

Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân receives Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Johan Ndisi on October 15. VNA photo

HÀ NỘI – Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân’s official visit to Sweden from November 10-13 will help consolidate and deepen the sound traditional friendship between the two nations, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Sweden Trần Văn Tuấn.

In an interview with the Việt Nam News Agency, Tuấn underscored the significance of Xuân’s trip, the first ever by a Vietnamese Vice President, saying it will come at a crucial moment as both nations are celebrating the 55th anniversary of their diplomatic relations (1969-2024).

During her stay, Xuân will meet with Sweden’s top parliamentary and government leaders to discuss measures to enhance mutual understanding, deepen the relations between the two countries' people as well as develop bilateral cooperation in a more practical fashion. Several Memoranda of Understanding between the two ministries and sectors will be signed on this occasion.

The Vietnamese diplomat stressed that Xuân’s trip showcased Việt Nam’s commitment to creating a stable and favourable environment for investment and business activities of Swedish enterprises, adding a centrepiece of the economic agenda would be the Việt Nam – Sweden Business Roundtable focusing on digital transformation and sustainable development – the areas of the European country’s expertise and Việt Nam’s demand.

The trip, he said, was expected to give fresh impetus to bolster collaboration between businesses of both sides in those domains, with the highlight being the announcement of a direct maritime route connecting Vũng Tàu port in Việt Nam's southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu and Sweden's Gothenburg port, which is set to advance two-way trade in the coming time.

Besides, Xuân was scheduled to meet with the Vietnamese community in the European nation during which she would affirm the Party and State’s consistent policy of considering the overseas Vietnamese an inseparable part of the nation and encouraging them to make contributions to the development of the homeland, he stated.

According to Tuấn, Việt Nam and Sweden have enjoyed a time-honoured relationship and cooperation, with Sweden being the first European nation to recognise and set up diplomatic ties with Việt Nam in 1969. Sweden has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Việt Nam during the latter’s struggle for national independence, freedom, peace and reunification as well as its current construction and development. Over the past 55 years, the two countries have nurtured and deepened their ties and carved out noble achievements across sectors.

He laid stress on the robust political confidence between the two countries, with Việt Nam seeing Sweden as a good friend and a trustworthy partner in Northern Europe, and Sweden considering Việt Nam an important partner in Southeast Asia. He highlighted regular political consultations and delegation exchanges, particularly those at high levels, had created important momentum to enhance the traditional ties across politics, economy, trade, investment, science-technology, culture, education and health care, among others.

As many as 107 pacts and 12 bilateral agreements were signed between the two countries, 42 of which are still valid, serving as an important basis to step up their cooperation in the new era – the era of science-technology and sustainable development, according to the ambassador.

Sweden is one of the largest ODA providers for Việt Nam, helping the country with its poverty reduction efforts and socio-economic development. Sweden has assisted Việt Nam in training experts in various domains such as agro-forestry, health care, electricity, press and communications.

Additionally, the two countries have witnessed robust trade ties, with two-way trade reaching some US$1.3 billion in 2023, and $966.77 million in the first eight months of this year, a year-on-year rise of 11 per cent. Currently, Sweden is Việt Nam’s largest trading partner in Northern Europe while Việt Nam is the biggest importer of Sweden in Southeast Asia.

As of June 2024, Sweden registered $743.65 million in 111 projects in Việt Nam, ranking 29th among 143 countries and territories landing investments in the Southeast Asian country. Meanwhile, Việt Nam has funneled around $5.2 million into Sweden since 2019.

Tuấn said the two countries enjoyed strong culture-education cooperation over the recent past, with major cultural events held to mark the 55th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, helping tighten the friendship between their people. VNA/VNS