Bucharest (VNA) –Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has expressed his desire for stronger cooperationbetween Vietnam and Romania in oil and gas, agriculture and food processing.

These are areas of Vietnam’sdemand and Romania’s strength, the visiting PM told Romanian President Klaus Iohannis during their meeting on April 15 inBucharest.

He suggested the two countries join hands in otherfields like labour, education-training, culture-tourism, agriculture, nationaldefence-security and science-technology.

Vietnam treasures the Romanian people’s valuablesupport towards the country over the past nearly 70 years, the leader said.  

He called for more support from Romania, in itscapacity as EU president in the first six months of 2019, for the signing andratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-VietnamInvestment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

PM Phuc conveyed the invitation of Party GeneralSecretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong to President Iohannis to visit Vietnamon the occasion of the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic tiesin 2020. The Romanian President accepted the invitation.

Iohannis said Romania attaches importance to thetraditional friendship with Vietnam and regarded PM Phuc’s visit as momentum topromote bilateral relations.

Vietnam and Romania have substantial potential toenhance their ties, he said, noting nearly 4,000 Vietnamese have studied inRomania and 500 Vietnamese are living and working in the country.

The President lauded the socio-economic achievementsVietnam has recorded over the years as well as its position in the region andthe world.

Romania backs the intensification of Vietnam-EUrelations, and will push the signing of the EVFTA and the EVIPA in order to materialisecooperation projects that would benefit Vietnam, the EU and Romania, he said.

Host and guest agreed to urge ministries, agencies,localities and partners of the two countries to step up their connectivity todevelop the bilateral relationship, bringing significant outcomes to celebrate the70th anniversary of bilateral ties.

Vietnam and Romania will continue close coordination atmultilateral forums like the United Nations and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM),they vowed.

The same day, PM Phuc met withPresident of the Romanian Senate Călin Popescu Tăriceanu,during which he said Vietnam treasures relations with Romania and highly valuesthe Romanian Senate’s contributions to bilateral ties.

He also applauded the roleplayed by friendship parliamentarians’ groups of the two countries, and delegationexchanges between their parliaments.

The PM thanked Romania,including the Senate, for supporting the EVFTA and the EVIPA during the country’sEU rotating presidency. He expressed his hope for further support from Romaniain the future.

PM Phuc conveyed the invitationof National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan to Senate President Călin Popescu Tăriceanu to visit Vietnam.

In reply, the Senate Presidentsaid PM Phuc’s visit demonstrates an important development of bilateral ties.

The Romanian Senate recongisesthe importance of the Vietnam-Romania friendship and hopes the bilateralrelations will grow stronger.

Romania has supported the EVFTAand the EVIPA, and is accelerating legal reviews so the agreements will be reachedsoon, he said.

He suggested Vietnam and Romaniastep up collaboration in agriculture, labour and trade, gearing towards two-waytrade of 1 billion USD.

Romania wants to welcome moreVietnamese students and workers to the country, he said.-VNA