Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân meets Greek Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

ATHENS — Việt Nam and Greece need to build concrete measures to develop the bilateral relations effectively and comprehensively in the future.

The suggestion was put forward by Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân and Greek Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos during their talks held on Tuesday. Xuân paid an official visit to Greece at the invitation of President Sakellaropoulou from Sunday to Tuesday.

They said the two countries should enhance the exchange of delegations and visits at all levels, especially those at high level and organise business forums to increase mutual understanding.

They agreed to continue effectively implementing the Memorandums of Understanding between Việt Nam and Greece on tourism cooperation to increase bilateral cooperation in this field as well as promoting cooperation in education and training and cultural exchanges.

Vice President Xuân thanked Greece for donating 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Việt Nam, which are scheduled to arrive in Việt Nam on November 3, saying that it demonstrated the loyal friendship between the two nations and their people.

She said she appreciated Greece’s coming approval of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and said the bilateral economic and trade cooperation remained modest in comparison with the potential of the two countries. She proposed Greece to continue boosting the effective implementation of the agreements to help create favourable conditions for developing the economic and commercial relations between Việt Nam and Greece as well as between Việt Nam and the EU.

Two-way trade turnover between the two countries in 2020 reached US$337 million. Vice President Xuân proposed Greece to create conditions for agricultural products of Viêt Nam to develop in the Greek market, including coffee and fresh fruits while Việt Nam was willing to receive Greek products.

Xuân also suggested the two countries soon discuss and sign the Agreement of Double Taxation Avoidance and an agreement on maritime transport to help boost cooperation in the fields of shipbuilding and maritime transport.

Greek Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis said Greek attached importance to the relations with Việt Nam and supported the relationship between Việt Nam and the EU and would strive to foster cooperation with Việt Nam in all fields.

On regional and global issues, they affirmed support for the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, refraining from use or threat to use force, as well as highlighted the importance of maritime security, safety and freedom, and compliance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

At a meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece Dimitrios Koutsoumpas, Vice President Xuân said Việt Nam attached great importance to developing the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Greece.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece Dimitrios appreciated the visit by the Vietnamese delegation, saying that the visit would help boost the relationship between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to maintain bilateral consultancy mechanisms and cooperation between the two Parties and the two countries and increase cultural and people-to-people exchanges. — VNS