HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and Minister of the Interior of Lithuania Eimutis Misiunas on Wednesday signed a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders between the two countries.

This is the 85th diplomatic passport visa exemption agreement that Việt Nam has signed with countries aiming to create favourable conditions for the bilateral exchange of delegations.

The country also has visa exemptions for flight crew members of 18 countries and territories in the principle of reciprocity. In addition, it unilaterally exempts visas for citizens of 13 nations – Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Belarus – and for officials of the ASEAN Secretariat, helping to attract foreign tourists.

On the occasion, Deputy PM Minh and Minister Misiunas signed a citizen re-admission agreement between the two countries. 

Earlier, Minh hosted a reception for the Lithuanian minister, during which he said he appreciated the outcomes of the talks between the guest and Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm on January 21, especially concerning crime prevention and control.

Deputy PM Minh spoke highly of the recent progress in the two countries’ relations, including an official trip to Lithuania by Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh in October 2017 on the occasion of the 25th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

He also thanked the European nation for supporting Việt Nam’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-21 term.

Minister Misiunas said the Lithuanian Government treasures the traditional friendship between the two nations. He also pledged to continue supporting and promoting comprehensive co-operation between Việt Nam and the European Union (EU), including the early signing and ratification of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement and the Investment Protection Agreement. — VNS