Socialist Republic of Vietnam

(VNA) Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on April 12 held separate meetings with leaders of Japan , New Zealand, Morocco and the European Union (EU) on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in the US.
Meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Yukio Hatoyama, PM Dung thanked and spoke highly of the practical assistance Japan has extended to Vietnam ’s national construction and development.

He also urged the Japanese Government to increase its official development assistance (ODA) to and help Vietnam carry out major infrastructure projects.

PM Hatoyama affirmed that Japan will continue to cooperate with Vietnam in implementing projects agreed upon by senior leaders of the two countries and provide a large volume of ODA to the Southeast Asian nation.

During PM Dung’s meeting with New Zealand PM John Key, both leaders noted with pleasure that the bilateral friendship and cooperation have seen important developments in recent years.

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh’s visit to New Zealand in late 2009 marked the lifting of the Vietnam-New Zealand relationship to the level of a comprehensive partnership, they said.

PM John Key said New Zealand attaches great importance to promoting its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam, and that he will visit Vietnam in the near future to see with his own eyes the country’s development.

The Vietnamese leader applauded PM John Key’s planned visit, saying this will be vivid evidence as Vietnam and New Zealand are celebrating 35 years of diplomatic ties.

Talking with Moroccan PM Abbas El Fassi, PM Dung hailed positive progress in the two countries’ relations since the former’s visit to Vietnam two years ago.

Vietnam and Morocco should make greater efforts to fully tap their potential for stronger cooperation and uphold strengths in tourism, agriculture, mining and fertiliser production, PM Dung said.

He suggested the two nations increase regular meetings between concerned agencies and businesses to share information and experiences so as to grasp opportunities to boost bilateral cooperation as well as tripartite cooperation with a third African country.

At the meeting with EU President Herman Van Rompuy, PM Dung stressed Vietnam and the EU should strive to build their relationship into a model of cooperation between a developed union and a developing nation.

The PM applauded the EU’s recent positive report on the country’s market economy status and urged the EU to soon recognise Vietnam ’s satisfaction of the remaining standards and facilitate two-way trade.

President Rompuy said the EU treasures its relations with Vietnam , expressing his belief that the two sides will soon sign the Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

He praised Vietnam’s important role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and said he hoped that Vietnam and the EU will work together closely to step up the ASEAN-EU relationship as Vietnam takes over the bloc’s chairmanship in 2010./.