Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, had a meeting with head of the government of the country Nguyen Xuan Phuc, as reported the news service of the Government of Armenia.
First, the official welcoming ceremony was held for Prime Minister Pashinyan and Mrs. Anna Hakobyan during which the Prime Ministers of the two countries and their wives greeted the members of the delegations, and this was followed by the national anthems of Armenia and Vietnam and the march of the Guard of Honor.
After the ceremonial videotaping and photo shoots, the negotiations were held in narrow and wide formats.
On behalf of himself and the government of his country, the Prime Minister of Vietnam cordially welcomed the delegation led by Nikol Pashinyan and stated the following: “I am certain that our meeting will contribute to the enhancement, expansion and strengthening of cooperation in all sectors. Mr. Prime Minister, what is symbolic is that you are visiting Vietnam on the 60th anniversary of the visit that founder of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Ho Shi-Min paid to Armenia. We are glad that Armenia is overcoming the hardships and taking steps for economic growth and is also strengthening Armenia’s reputation in the international arena.”
Nikol Pashinyan expressed gratitude for the cordial reception and stated that the purpose of his visit is to promote the advancement of political, economic and humanitarian ties between Armenia and Vietnam. “We will discuss a broad range of issues, and I am certain that the decisions to be adopted by both countries will promote the development of our countries. The distance between our countries can in no way be a hindrance to the enhancement of cooperation,” the Prime Minister said.
Afterwards, the interlocutors discussed issues related to the expansion of trade and economic relations, as well as the enhancement of relations in the fields of information technologies (including the partnership of engineering laboratories), tourism, healthcare, education, science and environmental protection.
Touching upon the expansion of trade and economic relations, the interlocutors attached importance to the active efforts of the intergovernmental commission and particularly reached an agreement on holding a business forum during the upcoming session of the commission to be held in the fall in Yerevan.
Nikol Pashinyan and Nguyen Xuan Phuc also agreed to launch discussions on the conclusion of an agreement ruling out double taxation and expressed certainty that the creation of a free trade zone between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union will also give a new impulse to the enhancement of economic partnership.
The Prime Ministers of the two countries emphasized the need for expansion of cooperation in the tourism sector and attached importance to the actions aimed at facilitating the visa regime. They also touched upon further cooperation within the scope of international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Organization of La Francophonie.
After the meeting, an agreement on cooperation in the fields of education and science was signed between the governments of the Republic of Armenia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Afterwards, the heads of the governments of both countries made concluding statements on the results of the talks for mass media representatives.
Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc particularly stated the following:
“Dear Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, dear Armenian and Vietnamese journalists, friends,
On behalf of the government of Vietnam, I am glad to welcome the Prime Minister of Armenia and the governmental delegation on an official visit to Vietnam. The government and people of Vietnam always treat the fraternal Armenia with love and respect. We are glad that Armenia, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, has overcome the latest hardships and challenges and is now on the path to development.
The Vietnamese government attaches great importance to the strengthening of friendship and cooperation with Armenia. The Prime Minister and I just held talks during which we discussed specific areas and actions to promote the growth of cooperation between the two countries.
We agreed to improve the activities of the intergovernmental commission, the cooperation in trade, economy, science and technology and contribute to the effective implementation of the agreement on a free trade zone between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union. We had an in-depth discussion on the steps for implementation of the agreement on the creation of a free trade zone between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, and I consider this one of the major issues for cooperation between our two countries.
The Vietnamese government highly appreciates the first visit of the Prime Minister of Armenia and is certain that it serves as a qualitatively new step for the strengthening and enhancement of the relations between Vietnam and Armenia. Once again, I would like to thank Mr. Prime Minister and the governmental delegation of Armenia for paying an official visit to Vietnam.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan particularly stated the following: “Dear mass media representatives,
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
I would like to express gratitude to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for the cordial reception and for receiving the Armenian delegation.
I would like to affirm that we held constructive talks in an atmosphere of mutual confidence. My visit lays the foundation for new, more dynamic and more intensive relations between our countries.
Armenia aspires to diversify its foreign economic cooperation and, in this sense, Vietnam, which is a friendly country, is a major partner for Armenia in the Asia-Pacific Ocean region.
I would like to mention that Armenia is impressed by Vietnam’s economic advancement, macroeconomic indicators and the level of integration into the economy at the global and regional levels. Vietnam is a country with a great economy, and the countries of all regions are interested in cooperation with Vietnam.
In its turn, Armenia also has something to offer. The wide scope of our foreign economic relations can spark great interest among Vietnamese manufacturers. Armenia can serve as a platform that will provide the opportunity to reach out to the markets in the European Union, CIS countries, Georgia, Iran and the Middle East.
During the talks, we expressed the willingness to take actions to deepen relations in fields of mutual interest. Armenia and Vietnam have the potential for cooperation in the fields of education, healthcare, tourism, textile industry, information technologies, science and innovation. In this regard, we attached importance to the activities of the intergovernmental commission for cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology. We agreed to hold the session of the Armenian-Vietnamese Intergovernmental Commission and a business forum in October. After this visit, we will start considering the conclusion of an agreement ruling out double taxation. We are considering the possibility of the signing of a specific memorandum in the tourism sector. We also confirmed our willingness to expand cooperation in the format of Eurasian Economic Union-Vietnam. We need to take all the necessary steps to make sure the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union fully serves for the enhancement of economic relations between our countries.
In closing, I would like to thank Mr. Prime Minister, all of our colleagues of Vietnam and friends once again for the hospitality and fruitful talks.”
An official dinner was served in honor of Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Mrs. Anna Hakobyan on behalf of Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
