Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte hosted an official welcoming ceremony for his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Phạm Minh Chính in the city of La Haye on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

LA HAYE — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính affirmed the determination to work with the Netherlands to foster the comprehensive partnership between the two countries during talks with his counterpart Mark Rutte in the city of La Haye on Monday.

The talks were held after an official welcome ceremony hosted by PM Rutte for his visiting Vietnamese counterpart.

The two leaders expressed their delight at the positive development of the comprehensive partnership over the past years. They agreed to enhance exchanges of delegations at all levels and to implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms effectively.

They stressed the development of trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. The Netherlands is the second largest trade partner of Việt Nam in Europe and the biggest investor of Việt Nam among European Union states.

The two PMs agreed to continue effectively implementing the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and work to turn the two countries into hubs of transshipment between the two regions.

They agreed to promote and deepen bilateral cooperation within the framework of the strategic partnership in climate change adaptation and sustainable agriculture.

The two sides agreed to expand cooperation in security and national defence, culture and tourism, transport, science and technology, education and training. 

PM Chính proposed that the Netherlands soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and encourage the country's enterprises to boost investment into Việt Nam in seaports, shipbuilding, logistics, and strategic infrastructure.

He called on the Netherlands to help remove the illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing yellow card for exported seafood products of Việt Nam and support Việt Nam in building seaports, airports and innovation centres.

He suggested the two countries sign an agreement on labour cooperation. 

PM Chính thanked the Government and people of the Netherlands for donating vaccines and medical equipment for Việt Nam to help the country keep the pandemic under control and recover socio-economic development.

PM Rutte said that the EVFTA is important in promoting economic relations between the two countries and stressed the Netherlands' enterprises should pay more attention to Việt Nam, a country with stable politics and a favourable investment and business environment.

He spoke highly of Việt Nam's efforts in sustainably developing the fishing sector and said he supported the EC to remove the IUU yellow card for Vietnamese seafood products soon.

The Netherlands' leader said he believed the Vietnamese PM's visit would help develop bilateral relations in a new development period. 

He praised Việt Nam's success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and socio-economic recovery and development. He said that the Netherlands attaches great importance to the role and position of Việt Nam in its policy for the Indo-Pacific region.

On the East Sea issue, they reaffirmed the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, refraining from the use or threat to use force, settling disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

After the talk, the two PMs witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries about climate change adaptation. —VNS