Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh (L) meets with Greek Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis on July 2, 2018. (Photo: vov.vn)

Deputy PM Minh, on a 2-day official visit to Greece, met with Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis and Deputy Speaker Georgios Varemenos, who also chairs the Greece-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group. Mr. Voutsis said Greece values its relationship with Vietnam and supports the EVFTA. He will join the Greek government in bolstering cooperation with Vietnam bilaterally and at multilateral forums.

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh (L) and Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos. (Photo: vov.vn)

Mr. Minh met earlier with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who voiced his support for cooperation with Vietnam. Mr. Minh called for continued friendship between the two countries, more delegation exchanges and high-level meetings, and closer cooperation in economy, trade, investment, culture, and tourism. Both leaders affirmed their support for international law, and agreed to work together for global peace and stability.

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh and Greek Deputy PM and Minister of Economy and Development Giannis Dragasakis discuss cooperation  in maritime transportation, shipbuilding, seaport exploitation, tourism, and agricultural product processing, July 2, 2018. (Photo: vov.vn)

During the visit, Mr. Minh met with Greek Deputy PM and Minister of Economy and Development Giannis Dragasakis. They talked about stepping up collaborative efforts in maritime transportation and logistics, shipbuilding, seaport exploitation, tourism, and agricultural product processing. Mr. Dragasakis said Greece wants to strengthen collaboration with Vietnam, and backs the early signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. Greece is ready, he added, to share its experience with Vietnam in tourism, seaport management and exploitation, and maritime transportation. The two sides agreed to create a legal framework to promote bilateral economic and trade ties, including negotiations for the signing of an agreement on double taxation avoidance, and another agreement on maritime transportation.

During talks with Greek FM Nikos Kotzias, both leaders agreed to continue to effectively realise the memorandum of understanding to boost cooperation in tourism, education and training, archaeology, and culture. They agreed on the importance of peace, stability, compliance with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Mr. Minh urged the Greek Government to create conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country to have a stable legal status and integrate into the host society.

Both sides reached an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders of Vietnam and Greece.

After the trip to Greece, the Vietnamese Deputy PM will pay a 3-day official visit to Bulgaria from Tuesday.