Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

DAVOS — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính met with his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday (local time) on the occasion of the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) there.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive development of the Việt Nam-Netherlands comprehensive partnership, particularly in climate change response and sustainable agriculture.

In the economic and trade sphere, the Netherlands is Việt Nam's second-largest trading partner in Europe and top investor from the European Union (EU). Despite global trade challenges, bilateral trade reached US$13.77 billion in 2024, an increase of 26 per cent compared to 2023.

PM Chính expressed his gratitude for the Netherlands' special affection for Việt Nam, particularly from King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, and noted his wish to welcome them to Việt Nam in the near future.

Building on the growing political trust and the multi-faceted friendship nurtured over the past 50 years, the Vietnamese leader proposed elevating political and diplomatic relations to new heights through increased high-level exchanges, and concretising sectoral strategic partnerships on climate change adaptation and sustainable agriculture by implementing specific and practical cooperation programmes, particularly in the Mekong Delta and coastal regions.

He also suggested enhancing the effectiveness of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms while expanding collaboration into areas where the Netherlands excels and Việt Nam has demand, such as high-tech industries, semiconductor chip design and production, and other science and technology fields.

PM Chính called on the Netherlands to ratify the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) promptly and to advocate for the EU to lift the “yellow card” under the IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing regulations imposed on Vietnamese seafood, facilitating greater economic and trade cooperation.

For his part, PM Schoof highlighted the strong friendship and collaboration between the two nations across various sectors. He emphasised the potential to further deepen bilateral ties.

He noted that the Dutch King and Queen are eager to visit Việt Nam again and affirmed the Netherlands’ interest in exploring investment opportunities in Việt Nam's semiconductor chip sector. He also congratulated Việt Nam on hosting the UNCTAD ministerial meeting in late 2025.

PM Chính thanked and called for the Dutch government’s continued support for the Vietnamese community in the Netherlands to integrate successfully into the host society and contribute to local socio-economic development.

The leader also noted his hope for greater cooperation and mutual support between the two countries at international and regional organisations.

On this occasion, PM Chính invited PM Schoof to visit Việt Nam soon and attend the 4th Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit, to be hosted by the Southeast Asian nation in April 2025, to review high-level agreements between the two countries. — VNA/VNS