Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomes newly-appointed Danish Ambassador Nicolai Prytz. (Photo: VNA)

The Prime Minister spoke highly of the bilateral intensive and extensive cooperation over the past years, especially since the establishment of a comprehensive partnership in 2013.

He hailed the outcomes of the recent Vietnam visit by Crown Prince of Denmark Frederik with the signing of many cooperation deals in promising fields such as green growth, renewable energy and effective use of energy, and applauded the Danish Parliament's ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement.

Expressing his delight at the growth of two-way trade which soared by 27% annually to 554 million USD in the first nine months of this year, Prime Minister Chinh said Danish investment in Vietnam has leaped with Lego's carbon-neutral toy factory worth more than 1 billion USD in Binh Duong province, opening up a green investment trend in the future.

The Prime Minister suggested both sides facilitate all-level visits, work closely together at regional and global forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations, ASEAN – EU, and create conditions for enterprises to expand operations in green growth, environmental protection, renewable energy, hi-tech agriculture. He also welcomed the continued strengthening of cooperation in education - training, people-to-people exchanges, sci-tech and innovation.

Ambassador Prytz, for his part, stressed that bilateral economic-trade-investment ties will be a priority and focus of his tenure.

He pledged to do his best to further develop the Vietnam - Denmark comprehensive partnership in fields where Denmark has strength and Vietnam has demand, especially renewable energy, green growth, marine economy, and will coordinate with Vietnam to expand cooperation opportunities in potential fields such as education - training, culture - tourism, and science- technology.

The diplomat reiterated the two countries’ strong commitments to sustainable development, building a circular economy, green growth and responding to climate change which was described as a foundation for the establishment of a green strategic partnership in the future.

Denmark’s major groups are keen on and ready to join in Vietnam’s big wind power projects, share management experience and train workforce, thus helping Vietnam become a supplier for the offshore wind power sector in the region, he said.

On regional issues, both sides affirmed ASEAN’s central role in the region and agreed on the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, and addressing disputes by peaceful means in line international law, including the 1982 United Natión Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).