National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn meets with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Hà Nội on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn hosted a reception for Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Hà Nội on Thursday as the latter is paying an official visit to Việt Nam.

NA Chairman Mẫn said that Việt Nam always remembers Lithuania’s past support to Việt Nam, particularly in training skilled engineers and workers, and in sending experts, equipment, and materials to aid the country’s reconstruction.

He reaffirmed Việt Nam’s commitment to strengthening ties with the European Union (EU), including traditional partners such as Lithuania. On this occasion, the Việt Namese NA Chairman asked President Nauseda to convey his greetings and invitation to the Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas (Parliament) to pay an official visit to Việt Nam.

Highlighting the encouraging growth in bilateral trade, Mẫn noted that two-way trade exceeded US$200 million in 2024 and reached $94.7 million in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 94.4 per cent year-on-year. However, he noted that these figures still fell short of the two countries’ full potential and encouraged businesses to leverage the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to boost investment and trade.

The NA Chairman emphasised the role of parliamentary diplomacy in fostering mutual understanding and trust, particularly by overseeing the implementation of agreements and improving the legal framework to facilitate economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

He proposed stepping up high-level delegation exchanges and close coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP), and noted that bilateral friendship parliamentarians’ groups serve as an essential bridge in strengthening legislative ties and broader cooperation.

For his part, President Nauseda congratulated Việt Nam on its significant achievements in recent years. Describing Việt Nam as one of Lithuania’s leading partners in Southeast Asia, the Lithuanian President showed his delight at the positive momentum in bilateral ties and agreed that both sides should continue to enhance political trust and connectivity through various engagement channels.

The Lithuanian leader voiced support for stronger cooperation in economy, trade, and investment, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, education and training, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. He affirmed Lithuania’s willingness to share expertise and collaborate with Việt Nam in areas where it holds advantages, including fintech, cybersecurity, and renewable energy.

NA Chairman Mẫn praised the Lithuanian Parliament for its early ratification of the EU–Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and called on Lithuania to help expedite the ratification process in other EU member states.

He also asked for Lithuania’s backing in urging the European Commission to lift the IUU “yellow card” on Việt Nam’s seafood exports. In return, he affirmed Việt Nam’s support for Lithuania’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

President Nauseda confirmed Lithuania’s readiness to work closely with Việt Nam in international organisations and multilateral forums, especially the United Nations. He stressed the importance of settling disputes through peaceful measures based on international law, particularly the UN Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world at large. — VNS