Vietnamese foreign minister Bùi Thanh Sơn (first from right) holds official talks with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg (first from left) on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese foreign minister Bùi Thanh Sơn holds official talks with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg on Monday, highlighting trade and cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Sơn said that Việt Nam has always attached great importance to the ties with Austria and hopes to elevate the relations further.

Accompanying Minister Schallenberg was a business delegation comprising representatives of 21 large Austrian enterprises led by Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Philipp Gady.

Welcoming the visiting minister and his delegation to the Southeast Asian country, the Vietnamese minister said that the trip is an important milestone in developing the two countries’ bilateral ties.

Sơn added that Austria is one of Việt Nam’s top 10 trade partners in Europe. Despite the effects of COVID-19, their two-way trade turnover reached US$2.79 billion in 2022.

He requested that the two countries continue to take advantage of the European Union-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and encouraged Austrian businesses to invest in the Vietnamese economy, especially in the sectors of Austria’s strengths such as infrastructure, renewable energy and technology.

The Vietnamese minister also asked that Austria soon ratify the European Union-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support the removal of the European Commission’s “yellow card” on Việt Nam’s fisheries.

Austrian Minister Schallenberg agreed to look into the matter, adding that Việt Nam has been a dynamic developing economy in the region.

The Southeast Asian country has been witnessing impressive socio-economic growth and has an increasingly important role in the region and the world, he said.

Austria hopes to strengthen its relations with Việt Nam, one of its key partners in Southeast Asia, especially in green technology, transport, healthcare and infrastructure.

The two countries also agreed on promoting delegation exchanges of all levels and collaboration between the two foreign ministries.

They will also support each other on multilateral forums and international organisations such as the United Nations (UN), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the ASEAN-EU cooperation framework.

The two leaders also discussed expanding bilateral cooperation to national defence-security, vocational training and support to the Vietnamese community in Austria.

They also shared their thoughts on regional and international issues of mutual concern, highlighting the importance of ensuring security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight at the South China Sea (known as East Sea in Việt Nam) and addressing disputes by peaceful means and based on international laws, which include the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Việt Nam and Austria will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of their official diplomatic relations this year, with positive developments in politics, diplomacy, trade-economy, cooperation and culture. — VNS