PM Phạm Minh Chính receives his student record from the UTCB's rector. VNS photos

BUCHAREST – Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, his spouse and the Vietnamese delegation visited the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (UTCB), where Chính studied in his youth, on Sunday (local time), as part of his official to Romania.

Speaking in front of officials and lecturers of the university, the PM recalled the Việt Nam-Romania over the past nearly 75 years, highlighting the help that Romania gave Việt Nam during the time of national liberation in the past and national development later.

Most recently, Romania actively worked to push the negotiations and signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement. In particular, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Romania provided Việt Nam with 300,000 doses of vaccines.

“Việt Nam will never forget the whole-hearted help and close cooperation of Romania over the past nearly 75 years,” PM Chính said.

He affirmed that Việt Nam treasured the traditional friendship and good cooperation with Romania and wanted to enhance the cooperative ties between the two countries, particularly in education-training.

He noted that Romania had so far trained about 4,000 Vietnamese students, with many of them later becoming leading scientists or holding high positions in the Vietnamese Party and State. The PM expressed his hope that Romania would grant more scholarships for Việt Nam.

The UTCB, in particular, trained around 1,000 Vietnamese students in the period from 1970-1980. From 2008 to now, five Vietnamese students have received scholarships under the two Governments’ agreement to study at the university. The university has signed with the University of Liège of Belgium and Thủy Lợi University of Việt Nam a tripartite agreement on cooperation in research and training in civil engineering.

PM Chính said he hoped the UTCB would further promote cooperation in training and research with Vietnamese partners, contributing to the relations between Việt Nam and Romania.

Visiting the university’s laboratory and the dormitory for international students, PM Chính recalled the beautiful memories of the time he studied and researched at the university, which he would never forget.

He expressed deep gratitude to generations of teachers and his thanks to friends who had accompanied and helped him a lot at the university.

Meeting with representatives of Romanian friendship organisations

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính received representatives from the Romania – Việt Nam Friendship Association and friendship organisations with Việt Nam in Bucharest on the same day.

The PM expressed his joy to meet with representatives of Romanian friendship associations and friends who made contributions to fostering solidarity, friendship and understanding between the two countries, during his official visit to Romania.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and representatives of Romanian friendship organisations with Việt Nam in Bucharest

According to the PM, over the past nearly 75 years, generations of Vietnamese and Romanian people have continuously built and nurtured a good traditional friendship, based on mutual understanding and trust, as well as support for mutual development. Việt Nam always remembers Romania's sentiments and valuable support for the country in the past struggle for national independence and reunification as well as in the present national construction and development process.

He said his official visit aimed to strengthen multifaceted cooperation between Việt Nam and Romania, tighten traditional friendship between the two nations, and promote achievements in bilateral ties over the past nearly 75 years, while creating new momentum for the bilateral relations.

During his stay in Romania, he would have talks with the Romanian Prime Minister, and meet with leaders of Romania to discuss measures to boost the Việt Nam - Romania relations. He wished Romanian friends would continue to inspire all Romanians to promote relations between the two countries, contributing to the two countries’ sustainable development goals.

In recent times, Romanian friendship associations and organisations have actively coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community to organise many meaningful events marking major holidays of Việt Nam and Romania, and important foreign affairs activities as well as cultural and art programmes, exhibitions and seminars.

At the event, the participants expressed their deep sentiments to Việt Nam, and belief in the Southeast Asian country’s strong development. VNA/VNS