Finland ready to help Vietnam in wide-ranging issues

Meeting with Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in Hanoi on November 16, the Finnish PM affirmed that his country treasures its friendship and wants to increase cooperation with Vietnam to fully tap their potential.

The Finnish PM pointed out that Finland and Vietnam boast conditions to promote joint efforts in a wide range of areas, particularly the forestry sector, in a stable, equal, mutually-beneficial and long-term manner.

Vietnam’s party chief praised Finland’s active role in dealing with international issues and responding to global challenges.

While reiterating the nation’s foreign policy of independence, openness, diversification and multilateralism, the Vietnamese party leader expressed his wish to strengthen and broaden the potential cooperation with Finland, which includes pushing up promotional activities for trade and investment as well as forestry, supporting and facilitating bilateral trade, soon expanding a pilot programme on the exportation of Vietnamese labour to Finland and increasing coordination at international forums.

Seeing National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, the Finnish PM said cooperation in the fight against corruption can be enhanced through parliamentary channels and Finland is willing to share its experience in the field with Vietnam.

He expressed hope that the two countries’ legislative bodies will promote their exchange of law-making experience and work closely in the fields prioritised for bilateral cooperation.

The Finnish PM said while working to raise two-way trade turnover, the two countries can boost collaboration in the areas of information technology, green technology and environmental protection.

For his part, NA Chairman Trong affirmed that Finland’s ODA has been used effectively in Vietnam, especially in poverty reduction programmes, the construction of infrastructure and the development of the ship-building industry.

The NA Chairman brought up other areas in which his country would welcome cooperation and assistance from Finland--education, the environment, and labour-which are the European country’s strengths.

He pledged that the Vietnam NA will step up its monitoring of the implementation of cooperation agreements already signed between the two countries in a bid to create a more favourable legal environment for all foreign investors, including those from Finland.

At his meeting with State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, the Finnish PM confirmed that his country will continue to support Vietnam in its efforts to step up cooperative relations with the European Union and expressed his belief that Vietnam will perform well as Chair of ASEAN.

He shared with the Vice President’s delight at the growing relationship, particularly in terms of political ties, between the two countries.

Vice President Doan spoke highly of the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the two PMs regarding cooperation on labour and industry policy, a very new and promising area for cooperation.

She stressed that Vietnam is eager to learn from Finland’s experiences and the solutions the country has applied to achieve sustainable developments as well as from their experience in other fields, such as education, gender equality and environmental protection.