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| President Vo Van Thuong (left) and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen meet with the press following their talks.__Photo: VNA |
President Vo Van Thuong and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen presided over a joint press conference in Vienna on July 24, announcing the results of their talks and agreeing on orientations and measures to further promote and deepen the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two nations.
President Thuong stated that after more than five decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations (1972-2023), Vietnam and Austria have witnessed their traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation developing well and dynamically.
In terms of politics and diplomacy, the two countries have regularly exchanged delegations at all levels, especially high-level ones, and closely cooperated and supported each other at regional and international forums. Austria always remains among the top 10 export markets of Vietnam in Europe, while Vietnam is an important trading partner of Austria in Southeast Asia. The bilateral collaboration in other fields such as culture, education, and science-technology has also been practically and effectively developed.
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| The two Presidents at the meeting with the press.__Photo: VNA |
The Vietnamese State leader expressed confidence that his visit to Austria will create a new momentum, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and provide a foundation for the strong development of the bilateral relations in the future.
He stressed that both sides have unanimously agreed to further enhance the ties across all areas, including politics, diplomacy, economy, investment, culture, sports, tourism, science-technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
The President affirmed that Vietnam has pursued a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralization. Vietnam wants to be a reliable friend and partner of all countries and a proactive and responsible member of the international community, he said.
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| President Vo Van Thuong speaks at the meeting with the press.__Photo: VNA |
President Thuong also highlighted a common wish to resolve all conflicts in the region and the world based on the respect for the United Nations Charter and international law.
For his part, the Austrian President said that at the talks, the two sides discussed various issues to promote comprehensive cooperation in all areas. He emphasized that Vietnam is an important trading partner of Austria in the Asian and ASEAN regions, as well as a large market and an attractive investment destination for Austrian businesses.
Currently, Austria has dozens of firms investing and operating in Vietnam with total capital of about EUR 500 million. However, there is still much potential for further cooperation in the coming period to achieve more practical results, the leader affirmed.
He said Austria and Vietnam are also launching joint activities regarding dual training, preferential loans, and collaboration between the two foreign ministries as outlined in a freshly signed memorandum of understanding.
The Austrian President described Vietnam as an important partner of the European Union (EU). He noted that the signing and implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has significantly contributed to promoting economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and the bloc in general, and between Vietnam and Austria in particular.
Additionally, Vietnam and the EU have worked together in programs and projects involving climate change response, environmental protection, and human rights dialogues. The two sides have also collaborated effectively at various international forums, sharing common interests to strengthen multilateral cooperation and to resolve conflicts based on compliance with international law.
Mentioning the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the two leaders said they support the settlement of conflict by peaceful measures on the basis of respect for the UN Charter and international law.- (VNA/VLLF)
