Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung welcomes Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis in Hà Nội on July 17. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam attaches great importance to its traditional friendship with Greece, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung said during talks with Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis in Hà Nội on Saturday.

Welcoming the Greek minister on his official visit, Trung said bilateral ties are built on strong people-to-people bonds, highlighting Hero of the Việt Nam People's Armed Forces Kostas Sarantidis (also known in Việt Nam as Nguyễn Văn Lập) as a symbol of the two countries' enduring friendship.

To deepen practical cooperation, he proposed increasing exchanges at all levels, especially high-level visits, while strengthening coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly as Greece serves as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2025–2026 term.

The Vietnamese minister called for greater use of existing cooperation mechanisms, stronger business connectivity, and expanded collaboration in maritime transport, logistics, renewable energy, culture, tourism, science, technology and innovation. He also urged the early signing of bilateral agreements to provide a legal framework for cooperation in areas including shipping, labour and double taxation avoidance.

Trung thanked Greece for its positive assessment of Việt Nam's efforts to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and expressed his hope that Athens will continue supporting the removal of the European Commission's "yellow card" warning while encouraging remaining EU member states to ratify the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

He also welcomed Greece's plan to send a business delegation to Việt Nam to explore investment opportunities, reaffirming the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' readiness to facilitate the visit.

For his part, Gerapetritis praised Việt Nam's socio-economic achievements and its growing international stature, affirming Greece's willingness to serve as a gateway for Việt Nam to Europe while expanding bilateral cooperation in its Asia-Pacific policy.

The Greek minister agreed that the two foreign ministries should continue serving as key coordinators for bilateral cooperation and maintain regular consultation mechanisms. He thanked Việt Nam for opening its market to Greek kiwifruit and proposed further agreements to facilitate market access for other signature Greek products.

He also expressed his support for strengthening links between localities, signing additional cooperation agreements, launching direct flights between Việt Nam and Greece, expanding cooperation in maritime affairs, ports, science and technology, and exploring a joint shipbuilding venture.

He reaffirmed Greece's commitment to creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country, recognising its role as an important bridge in bilateral relations.

The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, agreeing to strengthen coordination at the United Nations, within ASEAN-EU frameworks and other multilateral forums while reaffirming support for multilateralism and international law.

They underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight, and stressed that disputes should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). — VNA/VNS