Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Prime Minister Erna Solberg at press conference after talks (Photo: VNA)

During the visit, Mr. Phuc held talks with his Norwegian counterpart, and met with King Harald V and Speaker of Norwegian Parliament Tone Troen.

During talks, the two Prime Ministers hailed advancements in bilateral ties and affirmed the two countries’ determination to boost sustainable and inclusive cooperation in trade and investment. The two leaders pledged to soon complete negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA).

They encouraged businesses of both sides to expand their investment, especially in prioritized areas like maritime economy, green and renewable energy, IT, and goods for consumption.

They praised the constructive dialogue mechanism on human rights between Vietnam and Sweden, agreed on the importance of abiding laws, respecting human rights, and following Declaration on basic principles and rights at work of the International Labor Organization (ILO) as well as commitments to regional and international free trade deals.  

They also reached consensus on maintaining contacts and exchanges of delegations at all levels while organizing annual political consultations at Vice Foreign Ministeral level  and other bilateral dialogue mechanism of mutual concerns. They underscored their common commitments to sustainable and inclusive development under the 2030 UN agenda on sustainable development goals. The two leaders acknowledged what have been done to deal with climate change, rising sea level and, and plastic waste.

The two prime ministers also compared notes on regional and international issues of mutual concern. They agreed to enhance the two countries’ cooperation in regional and multilateral forums, especially in the UN, the ASEAN–Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership, and ASEM.  

Both prime ministers expressed their support for efforts to promote peace, stability, cooperation and friendship in South East Asia. They reaffirmed the importance of safeguarding the freedoms, rights and duties set out in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas, and called on all parties to settle any disputes through peaceful means and in accordance with international law.