Vietnam attaches importance to and wishes to enhance cooperation with
Italy and European Union countries in all fields on the basis of
equality for mutual benefits and development, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan
Dung has said.
Dung made the statement at a reception
for former Italian Prime Minister and former President of the European
Commission (EC) Romano Prodi on March 18. Prodi is in Vietnam to
attend the fourth event of the “Bridges – Dialogues Towards a Culture of
Peace” series co-organised by the International Peace Foundation and
the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training.
The PM affirmed Vietnam’s desire to be a friend, trust-worthy
partner and responsible member of the international community for peace,
prosperity and development.
Vietnam and other
ASEAN countries wish to maintain peace and stability in the region to
successfully establish the ASEAN Community by 2015, Dung noted.
He expressed his hope that Prodi and the EU will continue contributing
to peace and stability in the region and support Vietnam in solving
disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means on the basis of
international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He praised Prodi’s contributions to boosting the strong relations between Vietnam and Italy, the EC and the EU.
For his part, the former EC President expressed his delight with the
developing relations between Vietnam and Italy as well as between
Vietnam and the EU in all fields.
He underlined
the need for all countries to overcome differences to cooperate with not
only traditional friends but also others for the common goal of peace,
prosperity and development, especially at a time that international
relations have experienced a rapid and multidimensional change.
Prodi pledged to do his utmost for the development of relations
between Vietnam and the EU, and between Vietnam and Italy in
particular.
The same day, Dung hosted a reception
for former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, during which he affirmed that
Vietnam attaches importance to enhancing multi-faceted cooperation
with the UK and the EU.
He spoke highly of
Blair’s contributions to elevating the two countries’ cooperative ties
to a strategic partnership, and said that the partnership’s achievements
have brought practical benefits for each side’s development.
The PM expressed his hope that Blair will further contribute to
strengthening cooperation between Vietnam and the UK, and the EU
in all fields.
The former UK PM said he is
impressed by Vietnam’s comprehensive achievements in national
construction, socio-economic development and integration, holding that
such gains have helped heighten the country’s position in the
international arena.
Blair said his office is
working closely and effectively with the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry in
consultation, support and enhancement of economic, trade and investment
cooperation between the two countries.
He pledged to
continue supporting relations between Vietnam and the UK as well as
between Vietnam and the EU in all areas, especially in economics
and public-private partnerships.-VNA