Hanoi (VNA) - The official visit to Vietnam by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda from June 11 - 12 holds great significance, as it is the first-ever trip to Vietnam by a Lithuanian head of state in history, aiming to strengthen political ties and promote economic and trade relations, according to a diplomat.

Granting an interview to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) ahead of the trip, Lithuanian Ambassador to Singapore and Vietnam Darius Gaidys shared that one of the visit's highlights is the Lithuania-Vietnam Business Forum held at Hanoi’s Melia Hotel, during which the Lithuanian President is scheduled to deliver an opening speech containing many meaningful messages. Many Lithuanian businesses, including state-owned enterprises operating in the port and energy sectors, will attend the event.

Although bilateral trade is growing positively, both in goods and services, two-way investment flows remain very limited, he noted, stressing that this is an area with much room for development.

As a member of the European Union (EU), Lithuania hopes that the two countries can fully utilise mechanisms such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and expects the President’s visit to be a strong boost to bilateral trade, Gaidys said.

Regarding Vietnam's position in the EU's foreign policy in general and Lithuania's in particular, the ambassador affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner of Lithuania in the region, as the two countries share many common values, especially in respecting international law and a rules-based international order.

Lithuania agrees with Vietnam's position regarding the situation in the East Sea, and always adheres to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said, affirming that freedom of navigation and security at sea must be based on international law which is the common interest of both countries.

Gaidys recalled the recent meeting between the resident and non-resident EU ambassadors to Vietnam with State President Luong Cuong, during which the leader shared Vietnam’s economic transformation strategy, including market and supply chain diversification, green energy development, digital economy and the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Considering this a strong and very encouraging direction, the diplomat asserted that Lithuania is willing to share its experience in the field of green energy, and its company KN Energies, which is operating many liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Germany, Brazil and Croatia, is also ready to support Vietnam in energy transition.

In addition, Lithuania wishes to cooperate with Vietnam in responding to non-traditional threats such as cyber security, he added.

The ambassador went on to say that Vietnam has a very solid foundation in precision electronics manufacturing, digital services and a talented workforce in the field of information technology. It is only a matter of time before Vietnam becomes a leading hub in this field in the region. Many Lithuanian businesses are very interested and eager to cooperate with Vietnam in this field.

❀ Not only at the bilateral level, the two countries can promote cooperation within the EU-ASEAN framework. He shared that this year, there will be an EU-ASEAN Summit with the participation of the President of the EU and the President of the European Commission (EC), and this will be an opportunity to exchange many initiatives both politically and economically./.