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A red carpet was rolled out in Athens on June 9 to welcome Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet on his first visit to Greece.
Right after the welcome ceremony, visiting President Triet and his Greek counterpart, Karolos Papoulias, met in private before holding talks.
The talks focused on measures to further promote the two countries’ bilateral relationship and regional and international issues of mutual concern.
President Triet said he was satisfied with developments in the two countries’ friendship and cooperation, and took the occasion to thank Greece for its support for Vietnam’s accession to the WTO and non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
The Vietnamese leader assured President Papoulias of Vietnam’s commitments to accelerate economic reform and to implement commitments it made when joining the WTO.
He asked Greece to support Vietnam in negotiations to ink a partnership and cooperation agreement with the European Union, and gain recognition for the country’s market economy and the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) status.
President Karalos Papoulias praised Vietnam’s renewal successes, particularly its socio-economic development and poverty reduction gains, saying those achievements make Vietnam a pioneer in implementing the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Agreeing with President Triet on developments in the two countries’ ties recently, President Papoulias said his country places high Vietnam’s role in the region and the world.
He also agreed to increase cooperation and collaboration with Vietnam in the UN Security Council and other international and regional forums.
The two leaders discussed in detail future cooperative fields where Greece could assist Vietnam, including shipbuilding, shipping, agriculture, tourism, services, education and training, and the restoration of historical heritages.
They agreed that the two countries’ relevant agencies will continue to negotiate and then sign a number of framework economic agreements to realise their desire for cooperation.
Additionally, those agencies will organise trade, investment, tourism promotion activities and cultural and artistic performances to promote mutual understanding between the people and business communities of the two countries.
President Triet invited President Papoulias to visit Vietnam and the invitation was accepted.
The two leaders later witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement on culture between the two countries.
Meeting reporters later, the two leaders said they agreed the two countries’ political ties are growing well but their economic ties need to be increased further.
They said cultural days and weeks featuring each country’s culture will be held to strengthen the cultural exchange between the two countries’ people.
At the press briefing, President Triet extended his condolences to President Papoulias and the Greek people on the loss of lives and property caused by the 6.5 Richter earthquake in the southwestern region on June 8.
The Greek President said Vietnam is emerging as one of the most dynamic economies in Southeast Asia and Greece’s opening of its embassy in Hanoi in 2007 demonstrated its desire to bolster cooperation with Vietnam.
He said he believed the two countries’ ties will grow in a more dynamic manner in the future.
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