Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign M♕inister Pham Binh Minh and Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen agreed to facilitate business operations in the priority fields of agriculture, food processing, renewable energy, green growth and environment at their talks in Hanoi on October 11.

The talks were held during the Danish Foreign Minister’s official visit to Vietnam from October 11-12. Deputy PM Minh said the visit would contribute to lifting bilateral ties to a greater height, especially in the context of celebrations for the 45 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (November 25) this year. Minister Jensen affirmed the Danish government wants to develop ties with Vietnam –a country which plays an increasingly important role in the region. Host and guest expressed pleasure with the development of the bilateral friendship and cooperation over the past 45 years, especially since the two countries established a comprehensive partnership in 2013. Both sides pledged to increase the exchange of all-level visits, effectively carry out the mechanisms of deputy ministerial-level political consultation and the Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation, as well as the Vietnam-Denmark Plan of Action for 2016. The two countries will enhance cultural-sports-tourism exchange to raise mutual understanding between the two peoples, accelerate the official signing of the Vietnam-European Union free trade agreement, thereby creating a framework to expand bilateral trade and investment in the future. Thanking the Danish government for its supply of official development assistance over the past years, Minh suggested new and effective cooperation models be sought to deal with climate change, environment, energy and green growth. Deputy PM Minh suggested that the two sides work together to seek new forms of cooperation as bilateral relations have shifted from development cooperation to mutually-beneficial cooperation. On regional and global issues of shared concern, the two sides vowed to work closely together at multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations. Vietnam welcomes Denmark’s increased support for ASEAN and wishes the two sides will promptly embark on specific cooperation activities, especially in maritime security, institutional building, sharing experience in the peaceful settlement of disputes, connectivity, infrastructure, education, farming, green technology and climate change adaptation, Deputy PM Minh said. As regards the East Sea issue, Minh and the Danish foreign minister expressed their concern over the recent developments in the waters and underscored the need to settle disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, the United Nations Charter and especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, towards reaching a Code of Conduct in the East Sea to maintain peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of maritime and aviation as well as trade in the area. Later the same day, the Danish FM is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and co-host the fifth meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation with Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.-VNA