Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh receives Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin at the UN headquarters.
(Photo: Le Duong/VNA)
(VOVworld) – Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Venezuela, and Grenada on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.
At separate meetings, Minh, who is also a Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, underscored Vietnam’s wish to boost bilateral relations with other nations in all fields, increase delegation exchanges, and sign cooperation agreements in economics, trade, and investment. He highlighted Vietnam’s efforts to handle global issues and asked the countries to support Vietnam’s candidacy for the UN Economic and Social Council in the next term, the UN Security Council from 2020 to 2021, and the UNESCO Executive Council from 2015 to 2019.
Talking with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Minh suggested that the Turkish government consider removing protectionist and anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese footwear, garments, and textiles and continue to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese guest workers, especially to work in construction projects.
Minh asked the Bulgarian government to complete negotiations of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement within this year so that the EU can recognize Vietnam’s market economy.
During his meeting with Macedonia’s Foreign Minister, Minh called for more scholarships for Vietnamese students. The Macedonian Foreign Minister promised to honor Vietnam’s request begining early next year.
Deputy PM Minh asked the Venezuelan government to remove obstacles facing Vietnam’s oil and gas cooperative projects in Venezuela. Minh expressed his hope that the two nations will tighten their coordination when Venezuela organizes the non-aligned movement summit next year.
Minh said Vietnam values its traditional friendship with Grenada adding that the two are expanding economic and trade cooperation in telecommunications service, infrastructure for tourism, fishing and seafood processing.
At a meeting with economic scholars of the US’ Harvard University the same day, Deputy PM Minh praised their interest in Vietnam and asked them to increase their cooperation with Vietnamese research institutes in macro-economy, economic restructuring, and sustainable development.