Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính meets Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joao Gomes Cravinho on Wednesday in Hà nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese Government always values the development of traditional friendship with Portugal, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính told Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs João Gomes Cravinho during a reception in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

PM Chính suggested both sides facilitate visits, especially those at high level to raise mutual understanding and political trust, as well as fully and effectively tap existing cooperation mechanisms and build new ones to step up collaboration in promising areas that match their interests.

On multilateral cooperation, he proposed working closely together and offering mutual support at multilateral forums and international organisations, making active contributions to dealing with regional and global issues.

About economic ties, the host asked Portugal to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese farm produce to navigate the country. He wished the two nations would continue taking advantage of opportunities from Việt Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement to raise two-way trade, toward lifting it to US$1 billion in the near future.

On the occasion, he suggested Portugal soon approve the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to facilitate fair and win-win investment relationship between the two nations, urge the European Commission’s early removal of yellow card warning on Việt Nam’s aquatic products to meet interests of Portuguese and EU consumers as well as ensure livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of workers in the Vietnamese aquaculture industry.

Cravinho, who is on Việt Nam visit from January 17-19, affirmed that Portugal always considers Việt Nam an important partner in the region and expects to further develop all-around ties with the country.

He agreed to enhance collaboration in fields of Portugal’s strength and Việt Nam’s demand such as marine economy, maritime, renewable energy, circular economy and digital transformation.

The FM vowed to continue realising contents of Việt Nam-Portugal tourism cooperation agreement and sharing experience in tourism development, boost sport exchanges, particularly football training and increasing scholarships to students specialised in tourism management, and discuss the signing of labour cooperation deals.

He expressed his support for Vietnamese PM’s proposals related to joint work to fight climate change toward fulfilling goals set at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Portugal will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese community living in the country, open the market for Vietnamese farm produce and have a say with the EC on the IUU yellow card, he said.

Regarding the South China Sea (known in Việt Nam as the East Sea) issue, host and guest underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, settling disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). — VNS