Vietnamese Vice President meets with Latvian President

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh applauded the recent strides in the Vietnam – Latvia traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation, especially in economy-trade, while meeting with Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis in Riga, on October 20.

Vietnamese Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (L) meets Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis on October 20 (Photo: VNA)

The meeting formed part of the Vietnamese leader’s official visit to the European nation from October 19 to 21.

She noted that Vietnam has become the largest Southeast Asian trade partner of Latvia, with bilateral trade reaching US$161 million in 2016, increasing tenfold from 2010. The figure stood at US$126 million in the first nine months of 2017, up 10% from a year earlier.

To enhance their multifaceted ties, she asked both sides to sign an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders soon and suggested cooperation measures in terms of politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, education-training, defence-security, and consular affairs.

She took the occasion to deliver President Tran Dai Quang’s invitation to Latvian President Vejonis to visit Vietnam.

The Latvian leader described Vice President Thinh’s trip to his country, which coincides with the 25th founding anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic ties, as a landmark in their bilateral relations.

He also expressed his sympathy for Vietnam on the heavy losses caused by recent floods.

He thanked the Southeast Asian nation for recognising the alien’s passports of Latvia, which will create favourable conditions for Latvian holders of these passports to enter and exit Vietnam.

Latvia is ready to support Vietnam in enhancing its relations with the European Union (EU), President Vejonis said, lauding the conclusion of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations. He expressed his hope that the deal would be signed and ratified soon in order to create a basis for future cooperation between Vietnam and the EU, including Latvia.

At the meeting, the two sides also agreed to strengthen their coordination at international and regional forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations, to increase delegation exchanges at all levels, and step up ties in education and science-technology, particularly in high and green technology.

After a double taxation avoidance agreement, the countries are about to sign an educational cooperation deal and negotiate readmission and aviation agreements, thus providing a synchronous legal framework for their all-round partnerships.

Following their meeting, Vice President Thinh and President Vejonis witnessed the signing of an agreement on double taxation avoidance and income tax evasion prevention and an accompanied protocol between the Vietnamese and Latvian Governments. Vietnamese Ambassador to Latvia Doan Thi Phuong Dung and Latvian Finance Minister Dana Reizniece Ozola signed the deal.

Also on October 19, the Vice President visited the Riga Technical University, the oldest technical university in the Baltic region.

(Source: NDO)