President Võ Văn Thưởng (right) and Spanish Ambassador to Việt Nam Pilar Méndez Jiménez had talks in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — President Võ Văn Thưởng appreciated outgoing Spanish Ambassador to Việt Nam Pilar Méndez Jiménez's contributions to Việt Nam-Spain strategic partnership during her tenure in Việt Nam at a reception in Hà Nội on Monday.

Congratulating Spain on its successful role as the rotating President of the Council of European Union (EU) in the last half of this year, Thưởng said that Spain has become Việt Nam's eighth largest trade partner in the EU while Việt Nam is the largest ASEAN trade partner of the European country.

The President suggested that in the coming time, both countries should continue stepping up all-level exchanges and strengthening political trust as a foundation for bilateral cooperation.

Both sides need to further advance frameworks of bilateral cooperation, especially the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, he said, hoping for more people-to-people and cultural exchanges to deepen bilateral ties.

As the two countries are looking toward the 15th anniversary of strategic partnership, he wished that both sides would hold practical activities to deepen their relationship.

Méndez Jiménez, for her part, affirmed that Spain values cooperation with Việt Nam and considers it a priority in the development of their cooperation.

She said many large Spanish companies investing in Việt Nam have reaped success, particularly in renewable energy, wind and solar power, and digitisation – all of which are important sectors in the development strategies of both sides.

The guest expressed her belief that the EVFTA, the EVIPA, and the recently-established Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Việt Nam will lay a solid foundation to push forward cooperation between the two countries. — VNS