PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc is welcomed by Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila.  (Photo: VNA)

This is the first visit of Phuc to Romania as Prime Minister of Vietnam, and the first by a Vietnamese PM to the European country since 1977. 

After the welcome ceremony, the two PMs held talks. 

Vietnam and Romania officially set up diplomatic relations in February 1950. The two countries have enjoyed growing friendship and cooperation. Both sides have worked together towards a trade revenue target of 500 million USD in the near future, instead of just 218 million USD last year.

The official visit to Romania by PM Phuc looks to open up opportunities for Vietnam to gain Romania’s support in the ties with the European Union (EU), especially in pushing for the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) during Romania’ rotating EU Presidency in the first half of 2019.

Besides, the visit also looks to step up the two sides’ coordination at international forums and build plans to prepare for the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The two sides will seek to boost cooperation across politics, economics, trade-investment, education-training, culture-tourism, agriculture, labour, and local partnership during the visit.