Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Erling Rimestad in Hanoi, on March 1, 2023. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

Expressing his delight at growing cooperation between the two nations across many spheres in both bilateral and multilateral aspects, Foreign Minister Son said the potential for future engagements is ample.

The Foreign Minister proposed that the Vietnamese and Norwegian Foreign Ministries work closely together, increase delegation exchanges, and make efforts to speed up the negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

Affirming Vietnam’s strong commitments at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and cooperation with international partners, the Foreign Minister hoped agencies of Vietnam and Norway will study the possibility of establishing bilateral frameworks for joint work in maritime economy and green transition, thus contributing to creating new and practical cooperative impulses in fields that Norway has strengths in technology, experience, and capital and Vietnam has development needs.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son receives State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Erling Rimestad in Hanoi, on March 1, 2023. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh)

In response, State Secretary Rimestad said Norway considers Vietnam a priority partner in Southeast Asia and wishes to further tighten their bilateral ties.

Based on the current sound relations between the two countries, the Norwegian State Secretary agreed that the sides should further promote political contacts and exchange delegations at all levels; push negotiations on the FTA in the spirit of flexibility and mutual benefits; and expand cooperation to areas with potential and of common interest such as oceans, climate change, energy transition and green economy, especially in the context that the two countries have joined the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

Host and guest concurred to strengthen the nations’ cooperation and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially at UN mechanism and within the cooperation framework between ASEAN and Norway.