Helsinki (VNA) – National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on September 10 afternoonas part of his official visit to Finland.

The Finnish PM welcomed the Vietnamesetop legislator to Finland in the first foreign trip by Hue since he took thehelm of the Vietnamese NA, saying that it is a good manifestation of the traditionalfriendship between the two countries for decades.

She affirmed thatVietnam is among important partners of Finland in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacificregion. The two countries have gained success in economic, educational,development and environmental cooperation, she said, adding that there areother potential fields that Finland wants to partner up with Vietnam in thetime ahead.  

NA Chairman Hue highlighted that his visit is thefirst by a Vietnamese NA head to Finland after 28 years. He agreed with thehost that there is great potential for bilateral cooperation, and made clearthat Vietnam hopes to promote intensive cooperation with Finland in startupecology building, sustainable development, high technology, telecom, renewable energy,waste water treatment and transport, as well as in digital transformation,green economy and circular economy.    
  
According to Hue, bilateral economic ties, especially Finland’sinvestment in Vietnam, remain modest below the potential and the two countries’strength. Finland’s valid investment in Vietnam at present stands at only 23.63million USD.

He asked the Finnish PM to advocate stronger cooperation betweenthe business communities of the two countries in the context that theVietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement has taken effect.
         
The Vietnamese top legislator also called for help from theFinnish parliament for Vietnam in accessing vaccine supplies, or transferringredundant vaccine and medical supplies to Vietnam so that the Southeast Asiancountry can cope with the resurgence of COVID-19.
         
He asked the Finnish Government to assist Vietnam in human resourcestraining through providing more scholarships to Vietnamese students. There areat present 2,500 Vietnamese students in Finland.

PM Marin took note of the requests of the Vietnamese parliamentaryleader, and affirmed that Finland is willing to work with Vietnam to carry outvocational and teachers’ training programmes.

She added that as Finland is facing a shortage of workers due to an agingpopulation, so the country wants to attract foreign labourers, including thosefrom Vietnam, to work in Finland.  
         
The two leaders also discussed cooperation in multilateral mechanisms,and shared the view that the two countries should continue to coordinate andsupport each other in such mechanisms, including engaging in joint efforts to strengthenthe newly-established strategic partnership between the ASEAN and the EU.

They reiterated the principle of the rule-of-law in seas and oceans to maintainpeace, stability, freedom, safety and security of navigation and overflight,and to settle disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, includingthe UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982)./.