HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc held talks with his Romanian counterpart Dacian Ciolos following a welcoming ceremony in Hà Nội yesterday, assuring his guest that Việt Nam treasures the development of co-operation with traditional friends like Romania. 
Ciolos, who is in Việt Nam July 11-14, affirmed that Việt Nam was Romania’s important partner in Southeast Asia, and said he hoped to develop bilateral economic and trade ties to match the potential and demand. 

At the talks, the two leaders agreed to effectively implement the Việt Nam-Romania Joint Committee on Economic Co-operation mechanism, boost two-way trade and encourage investment in infrastructure, energy, food processing, pharmaceuticals, environmental protection, water resources management and tourism. 

Host and guest pledged to enhance collaboration in education and training, science and technology and defence and security. 

The Vietnamese PM thanked the Romanian government for doubling the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students to 20 each year starting in 2017 and for assisting Vietnamese nationals living there. 

Discussing regional and global issues of shared concern, the two PMs expressed their pleasure with the close and effective liaison at global forums. 

As an active member of the European Union (EU), Romania supported the strengthening of the relationship between Việt Nam and the EU, and called on the EU to recognise Việt Nam as a full market economy, he said.

On the East Sea issue, they expressed concern over recent developments and underscored the need to settle disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, considering it an effective way to ensure peace, stability, security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, and trade in the East Sea. 

On this occasion, the Romanian government leader invited his host to visit Romania. 

Following the talks, both sides convened a press conference and witnessed the signing of co-operation deals in the fields of culture, education and energy.

The two PMs also issued a Joint Declaration. The full text of the Joint Declaration can be found at vietnamnews.vn.

Top leaders’ reception

During separate meetings with Romanian PM Ciolos yesterday, Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and President Trần Đại Quang asked that Romania continue supporting the just stance of Việt Nam and ASEAN in addressing the East Sea issue by peaceful means on the basis of international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.

Thanking Romania for its support for Việt Nam’s nation-building cause, Trọng expressed his hopes of boosting the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with the European nation, especially in economics and defence.
He praised Romania for supporting the Vietnamese people living and studying there as well as the collaboration between Việt Nam and ASEAN with the European Union.
PM Ciolos emphasised that Romania would do more to develop its time-honoured friendship and cooperation with Việt Nam.
When meeting with President Quang, Ciolos said Romania sees Việt Nam as an example of economic development in the region, adding that his visit, therefore, focused on economic, trade and investment cooperation.
The host and guest shared the view that the two countries’ current economic, trade and investment cooperation has yet to achieve its  potential and expectations.
Two-way trade has maintained a stable growth at 10-15 per cent each year. Trade value reached US$175.6 million in 2015, of which $102.2 million were generated by Việt Nam’s exports.

The Vietnamese leader expressed his hope that Romania would speed up the European Union’s signing of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (FTA), saying that once implemented, the agreement will help boost economic, trade and investment ties between Việt Nam and the EU, of which Romania is a member.

He asked the European nation to recognise Việt Nam’s market economy status soon, facilitate the export of Vietnamese goods, and encourage Romanian enterprises to expand investments in the Southeast Asian country.

The guest confirmed that Romania would swiftly ratify the agreement and push for the EU’s official signing of the FTA with Việt Nam.

Both agreed that the two countries would back each other in running for a non-permanent member seat of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.

PM Ciolos reiterated Romania’s stance of respecting international principles and law and supporting the settlement of disputes by peaceful measures. — VNS