Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyễn Đức Hải (right) holds talks with Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau in Hà Nội on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI —  Việt Nam always treasures and wants to promote its traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Poland, one of its prioritised partners in Central Eastern Europe, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyễn Đức Hải said while receiving Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau in Hà Nội on Friday.

Welcoming the Polish official’s visit, Hải affirmed that the Vietnamese NA always supports the comprehensive cooperation between the two governments.

The two sides shared delight at the growing partnership between the two countries, with many delegations exchanged, including high-level ones.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted delegation exchanges between the two countries in recent years, the two sides should promptly resume the exchange of delegations, especially at high level ones, to further beef up collaboration in potential sectors, Hải said.

The NA Vice Chairman thanked the Government and parliament of Poland for donating 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 8 tonnes of medical equipment worth about US$4 million to Việt Nam in the hardest time to help the country overcome the pandemic.

Hai also thanked the Government and people of Poland for receiving, assisting and providing temporary shelters and necessities for thousands of Vietnamese citizens fleeing from Ukraine.

The two sides agreed that bilateral economic and trade cooperation has been expanded, with Poland being the largest trade partner of Việt Nam in Central Eastern Europe for many years. Despite COVID-19 impacts, two-way trade still reached more than US$2.58 billion in 2021 and 2022, they noted.

Highly valuing Poland’s support for the signing of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the Vietnamese leader suggested the Polish parliament soon ratify the EVIPA, enabling the two countries to optimise benefits from the deal and promote bilateral trade and investment collaboration.

Rau said that Việt Nam is the biggest economic partner of Poland in Southeast Asia, and the potential for stronger cooperation remains huge.

The Polish minister expressed his hope to continue receiving support from the Vietnamese NA in strengthening economic relations between the two nations, especially in high technology.

Hai proposed Poland urge the European Commission (EC) to remove its “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood exports, taking Việt Nam’s efforts to fully implement the EC’s recommendations on sustainable fishery development and the benefits of Polish and EU consumers into consideration.

Both sides also discussed cooperation in education-training, science-technology, finance and banking. Rau said that Poland hopes to work more closely with Việt Nam in education-training and receive more Vietnamese students.

Regarding the situation in the region and the South China Sea issue, Hải and Rau underlined the significance of ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the South China Sea as well as settling disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This is the common interest of all countries in the international community, which contributes to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development in the region and the world, they said.

On parliamentary cooperation, the two officials noted with pleasure the fruitful development of relations between the two legislatures, and expressed their hope to further bolster the bilateral partnership in the coming time. — VNS