President Trần Đại Quang receives Ambassador of Latvia Maris Selga. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI  — Việt Nam appreciates and wishes to further bilateral co-operation and friendship with other countries, said President Trần Đại Quang.

The President made the affirmation in meetings with newly-accredited ambassadors from India, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Federated States of Micronesia, Latvia, and Guinea-Bissau, who all presented their credentials to the Vietnamese leader yesterday. 

At a meeting with Indian Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, the President noted his hope that the diplomat will exert great efforts to co-operate with the Vietnamese side, in order to advance the Vietnam-India relationship in both depth and breadth. 

Quang said the official visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September this year would be significant and meaningful. It will take place while the two countries are gearing towards the 45th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership in 2017. 

Ambassador Harish said the Indian PM’s visit would elevate the bilateral relationship to new heights. 

At a reception for RoK Ambassador Lee Hyuk, Quang said the Việt Nam-RoK strategic partnership has yielded fruit in such areas as politics, security, national defence, international co-operation, investment, trade and official development assistance (ODA). The RoK is Việt Nam’s biggest investor, second largest ODA supplier, and third largest trade partner. The bilateral free trade agreement which came into force in 2015 - and the re-signing of the regular memorandum of understanding on labour co-operation in May this year - will strengthen co-operation, especially in promising areas like economy, trade, investment and employment. 

In response, Lee Hyuk promised to make all-out efforts to boost the strategic partnership, as Việt Nam is one of the priorities of his country’s ODA policy. 

Welcoming Ambassador of Latvia Maris Selga, the President called on the two countries to pay more attention to the exchange of delegations and to collaboration in trade and investment, since co-operation outcomes have yet to match their potential and advantages. He called on Latvia to continue supporting Việt Nam to promote its relations with the EU, including the early signing and approval of the Việt Nam -EU free trade agreement. 

Maris Selga confirmed Việt Nam is his country’s largest trade partner in Asia. He also confirmed he will prioritise economic and trade ties between the two countries during his tenure in the Southeast Asian nation. 

In the meetings with ambassadors of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Guinea-Bissau, the President expressed his pleasure in the bilateral ties with these countries in recent years.

The State leader also said Việt Nam and other countries should further co-operation for economic development in the future. — VNS