Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, President of the European Parliament (EP) David Sassoli on the occasion of the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 21.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh meets with President of the European
Parliament (EP) David Sassoli, Davos, Switzerland on January 21, 2020
- Photo: VGP/Le Son 

At the meeting with the President of the EP, Binh asserted that the EU is the top partner of Viet Nam, adding that the two sides have organized high-ranking meetings, signed and launched a number of agreements as well as maintained cooperative and dialogue mechanisms. Viet Nam and the EU will celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. 

The EU has been the fourth largest trade partner, the second largest exporter and the big investor of Viet Nam. The EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) are expected to be approved in 2020. 

He expressed thanks and expected to receive more support from the President for the Viet Nam-EU relations in the upcoming years. The occasion, he conveyed Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s invitation to the President to soon pay visit to Viet Nam. 

He welcomed the EP recognizing Viet Nam’s preparations for strict and full implementation of commitments in the EVFTA and the EVIPA. 

The Vietnamese Deputy PM expressed his hope that thanks to the support of the President, the EP will ratify the EVFTA and the EVIPA in February 2020 to realize big benefits brought by these two agreements for the EU and Viet Nam as well as manifest the strategic vision for the bilateral relationship and the EU’s status in the Asia-Pacific region and Southeast Asia.   

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh meets with Croatian Prime Minister
Andrej Plenkovic, Davos, Switzerland on January 21, 2020 - Photo: VGP/Le Son 

During the meeting with the Croatian PM, Deputy PM Binh asserted that Viet Nam attaches importance to consolidating and developing the friendship relations and the multi-faceted relationship with traditional partners, including Croatia. 

He proposed strengthening delegation exchanges at all levels, especially ministerial-level delegation to boost the bilateral relations more practically and effectively. 

Welcoming the two nations signing the double taxation avoidance agreement in July 2018, Binh said that Viet Nam is willing to create favorable conditions for the Croatian enterprises to seek for further business opportunities in Viet Nam, urging Croatia to encourage its enterprises to invest in sectors of Viet Nam’s huge demands such as renewable energy, infrastructure, tourism, environment treatment and food processing. 

He suggested Croatia, with the six-month presidency of the EU, continue supporting and accelerating the Viet Nam-EU partnership and comprehensive cooperation,  particularly soon approving the EVFTA during the presidency. 

As the Chair of ASEAN, Viet Nam is willing to assist Croatia in enhancing the relationship with ASEAN and other country members, he confirmed. 

President of the EP David Sassoli and Croatian PM Andrej Plenkovic affirmed to advocate the early approval of the EVFTA and the EVIPA, which will bring benefits for both business community and people of Viet Nam and the EU, agreeing to boost coordination with Viet Nam to promote ASEAN-EU relations during Viet Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2020. 

Deputy PM Binh also held meetings with top executives of many leading corporations like Standard Chartered, P&G Group, Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Carlsberg, Hyosung and Spring Studios.

He took the occasion to affirm the Vietnamese Government’s consistent policy in improving business climate and competitive edge through completing the market mechanism, renewing growth model, restructuring the economy, engaging in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and promoting global integration.

For their parts, the groups appreciated Viet Nam’s socio-economic development in the past time, and described Viet Nam as a dynamic economy in the context of economic headwinds in the region and the world.

They pledged long-term investment in the Southeast Asian country, hoping the Government will create an equal and transparent business environment that facilitates the operation of both domestic and foreign firms.