(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his entourage have concluded their official visits to Russia, Norway, and Sweden. The visits received strong support from the host leaders, achieved pragmatic results, and conveyed Vietnam’s message of respecting cooperative relations with traditional friends.
 Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev
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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Russia, Norway, and Sweden between May 20th and 29th. The three countries have developed traditional friendship with Vietnam and supported Vietnam’s past struggles for national independence and current national development.
The host leaders affirmed that a traditional friendship is a firm foundation for multi-faceted relations in the future.
Frank, sincere, effective
Prime Minister Phuc had frank, sincere, and effective talks with the leaders of Russia, Norway, and Sweden.
During his 4-day visit to Russia, the first leg of this tour, Prime Minister Phuc held talks with Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev. They agreed that the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership should be further promoted in all fields, particularly economics, trade, and investment. The two PMs witnessed the signing of 14 cooperation documents between ministries, sectors, localities and businesses of Vietnam and Russia. A Vietnam Year in Russia will be held this year and a Russia Year in Vietnam will be held next year to mark 25 years since the signing of the Treaty on Fundamental Principles of Vietnam-Russia Friendship and the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
During Mr. Phuc’s visits to Norway and Sweden, the Prime Ministers of both countries pledged to advocate the early signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement and encouraged businesses of both countries to enhance trade and investment relations. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven gave Prime Minister Phuc a letter of intent for investment in Vietnam worth over 2 billion USD.
Business forums were held in all three countries, drawing many Vietnamese and local businesspeople. Prime Minister Phuc confirmed Vietnam’s policy of creating a favourable environment for businesses to take advantage of Vietnam’s membership in 12 FTAs and the EVFTA.
Major deals were signed during the visits, including the T&T Group’s agreement to open a branch in Russia, a 500-million-USD solar energy project signed with Norway’s Scatech Solar Group, a cooperative project between VNPT and Ericsson on the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the Internet of Things, a 220-million-USD investment project by Sweden’s top pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca for the 2020-2024 period, and a contract between NutiFood of Vietnam and the Backahill Group of Sweden to operate the dairy company NutiFood Swden AB.
These projects will benefit Vietnam in building an e-government and smart cities and applying digital technology in production.
Enhancing friendly relationship
In each country, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his entourage received a warm welcome from Russian, Norwegian, and Swedish friends. Mr. Phuc said Vietnam will never forget them and is sincerely thankful for their support.
Anh Huyen