Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng (right) had talks with Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman in Hà Nội on May 18. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam always values strengthening and expanding relations with its traditional friends in Europe, including Croatia, said Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng while receiving Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman in Hà Nội on Monday.

Welcoming Minister Gordan Grlić Radman and a delegation of leading Croatian enterprises accompanying him, the Government leader noted that the visit holds important significance in promoting the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Việt Nam and Croatia in a more substantive and effective manner.

Congratulating Croatia on its recent socio-economic achievements, particularly its successful accession to the Eurozone and the Schengen Area in 2023, he highly appreciated Croatia’s growing role and position within the European Union and the Central and Eastern European region.

The PM suggested that the two sides enhance exchanges of delegations at all levels, especially at high level, while promoting cooperation among ministries, sectors, localities, and businesses of both countries. These efforts, he said, would deepen political trust and create new momentum for bilateral cooperation.

Based on the sound relations and vast cooperation potential between the two countries, PM Hưng called for more substantive progress in economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

The two sides should strive to double bilateral trade turnover from the current level of US$161 million; study the establishment of a Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation to create a long-term, stable, and effective framework for collaboration; and encourage Croatian businesses to invest in areas where Croatia has strengths and Việt Nam has demand, including seaports, logistics, renewable energy, tourism, science and technology, digital transformation, innovation, and climate change response, he said.

PM Hưng also urged Croatia to continue its active voice within the EU, hastening the remaining member states to soon ratify the EU–Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), thereby contributing to breakthroughs in trade and investment cooperation between Việt Nam and the EU in general, and between Việt Nam and Croatia in particular.

The Government leader also expressed his hope that Croatia would support the European Commission’s early removal of the “yellow card” imposed on Vietnamese seafood exports, in recognition of Vietnam’s serious and determined efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

For his part, Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said he was delighted and honoured to make his first official visit to Việt Nam as Croatia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister on the occasion of the 136th birth anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh, whom he described as “a symbol of humanity’s dignity and conscience.”

Congratulating Việt Nam on its remarkable achievements in socio-economic development, foreign affairs, and international integration, he affirmed that Croatia highly values its traditional friendship with Việt Nam and recognised Việt Nam's important role in maintaining and strengthening peace, security, and cooperation in the region.

Noting that Việt Nam is one of Croatia’s most important partners in Southeast Asia, the minister expressed his wish for the two countries to further enhance substantive and effective cooperation, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, investment, defence-security, science and technology, education and training, energy, seaports, tourism, logistics, and business connectivity.

The foreign minister expressed strong appreciation and full agreement with the cooperation orientations proposed by PM Hưng, affirming Croatia’s readiness to work closely with Việt Nam to effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms, increase delegation exchanges, promote political consultations, support business connectivity, and expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

He also highly appreciated Việt Nam's increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific region, within ASEAN, and in global supply chains. He reaffirmed Croatia’s support for strengthening Việt Nam–EU relations, including the effective implementation of the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and encouraging the remaining EU member states to ratify EVIPA and expand cooperation in new areas aligned with the priorities of the Việt Nam–EU Strategic Partnership.

The Croatian diplomat also expressed his hope that the two sides would continue coordinating closely at multilateral forums, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. — VNA/VNS