Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse arrive at Henri Coanda International Airport. VNA Photo Thống Nhất

BUCHAREST– Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived at Henri Coanda International Airport at 6:15am on April 14 (local time), beginning an official visit to Romania.

The visit is being made at the invitation of Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila.

During the visit, PM Phúc is scheduled to hold talks with his Romanian counterpart Viorica Dancila, and meet with President Klaus Iohannis, President of the Senate Calin Popescu Tariceanu and President of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea.

The Vietnamese Government leader is also expected to attend and deliver a speech at the Vietnam-Romania Business Forum and talk with representatives of Romanian localities having cooperative ties with Vietnam.

After his arrival, PM Phúc will visit Prahova where he will have a working session with its governor, and meet with the Vietnamese Embassy’s staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the country.

Vietnam and Romania officially set up diplomatic relations in February 1950. The two countries have enjoyed growing friendship and cooperation. Both sides have worked together towards a trade revenue target of US$500 million in the near future, instead of just US$200 million at present.

The Prime Minister's official visit to Romania reaffirms Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of treasuring, deepening the traditional friendship and cooperation with the European country in a more practical and efficient manner.

This visit, the first by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Romania since 1977, looks to open up opportunities for Việt Nam to gain Romania’s support in the ties with the European Union (EU), especially in pushing for the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) during the country’s rotating EU Presidency in the first half of 2019.

Besides, the visit also looks to step up the two sides’ coordination at international forums and build plans to prepare for the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The two sides will seek to boost cooperation across politics, economics, trade-investment, education-training, culture-tourism, agriculture, labour, and local partnership during the visit. VNS