Vietnam PM meets US, EC leaders within G7 Summit

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met U.S. President Joe Biden and President of the European Council (EC) Charles Michel on Saturday, within the framework of the expanded summit of the Group of Seven (G7).

Chinh and Biden agreed to maintain the exchange of all-level delegations.

The Vietnamese leader said that bilateral relations have positively developed over the recent past, with the economic-trade cooperation being the focus. President Biden spoke highly of the outcomes of the phone talks with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The two exchanged ideas on a number of measures to push up bilateral relations and on international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Also at the summit, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son met his US counterpart Antony Blinken, exchanging ideas on measures to accelerate the implementation of the agreements reached by the two countries’ high-level leaders.

At the meeting between PM Chinh and President of the European Council (EC) Charles Michel, the two sides expressed satisfaction at the positive progress in the Vietnam-EU relations.

Affirming that the EU is a partner of prime importance in Vietnam’s foreign policy, PM Chinh suggested the two sides push up the exchange of all-level delegations, and maintain and bring into play the efficiency of cooperation and dialogue mechanisms in the framework of the Vietnam-EU partnership and cooperation agreement.

The Vietnamese PM asked the EC leader to push the parliaments of member countries to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA); and the EC to raise its voice for the EU to soon lift its yellow-card warning concerning the illegal, unregulated, unreported (IUU) fishing against Vietnam’s seafood exports.

He also expressed his hope for the EU and member countries to continue supporting Vietnam in attracting resources to implement the statement on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The EC leader expressed his joy at the vigorous, intensive and extensive development in the Vietnam-EU relations, and spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts in the corruption fight. He took note of the progress reached between the two sides in the yellow-card warning, and affirm the EU’s strong support to Vietnam in the green transformation and JETP implementation.

The leader also expressed his hope for Vietnam’s continued support for the EU in strengthening relations with the ASEAN.