Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minhand his Serbian counterpart, Ivica Dacic, have agreed to build a specificcooperation framework in order to boost bilateral collaboration in all fields,especially in economy, trade and investment.

During their talks inHanoi on September 8, the two officials also emphasised the need to increasepolitical consultations and coordination between the foreign ministries of Vietnamand Serbia.

More favourableconditions should be created to facilitate the penetration of Vietnam’s keyexports such as seafood, garments-textiles, coffee and wooden products intoSerbia and other Balkan countries, as well as the access of Serbian goods likefoodstuff, equipment and machines to the Vietnamese and ASEAN markets, theysaid.

Minh spoke highly ofthe signing of an agreement on double taxation avoidance and another on mutualrecognition of the market economy status between Vietnam and Serbia.

He suggested the two nationssoon complete negotiations on an agreement on economic and trade cooperation inan effort to finalise the legal framework for bilateral economic, trade andinvestment ties.

Minh highly evaluatedDacic’s official visit to Vietnam from September 7-11, stressing that this isthe first visit to the Southeast Asian nation by a high-ranking Serbian leadersince 1989.

The officials consentedto intensify and expand cooperation in areas that the two countries havepotentials, particularly culture, tourism, transport and national defence andsecurity.

Having hailed theeffective collaboration at international forums and organisations betweenVietnam and Serbia, they held that the two countries need to continue close coordinationat multilateral institutions, especially within the framework of the UN.

Minh used this occasionto thank Serbia for its support for Vietnam’s candidacy for a non-permanent seatin the UN Security Council during the 2020-2021 term.

While discussinginternational and regional issues of mutual concern, the officials highlighted thesignificance of peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation,the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of respect for international law,including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), the fullimplementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea(DOC) and the early completion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). -VNA