Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang and Undersecretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anna Kry▨styna Radwan-Röhr✱enschef co-chaired a deputy ministerial-level political consultation in Hanoi on May 30.

Affirming that Vietnam always values and wishes to enhance multifaceted cooperation with Poland, Hang suggested Poland expedite the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support the early removal of the European Commission (EC)’s "yellow card" warning against Vietnam’s seafood exports. She thanked the Polish Government for assisting the Vietnamese business community hit by the recent fire incident at a shopping centre in Warsaw, and requested further support for the victims and the Vietnamese community in Poland so that they can early return to normal lives, thus upholding their role as a bridge for bilateral cooperation. Hailing Vietnam as a top priority partner and a potential economic partner of Poland in the region. Radwan-Röhrenschef agreed to push for the Polish Parliament's early approval of the EVIPA and expressed support for stronger EU-Vietnam ties in sustainable fisheries development and the EC's early removal of the yellow card for Vietnamese seafood exports. Both sides vowed to enhance exchanges at all levels across the Party, State, Government and Parliament channels while stepping up coordination across national defence-security, education-training, sci-tech, agriculture, culture, tourism, labour, environment, climate change response, digital transformation, green development, water resource management, and more. They committed to further close cooperation at multilateral forums such as the United Nations, to reinforce relations between ASEAN and Poland, and between ASEAN and the EU. The two sides agreed to coordinate to hold cultural and music exchanges in 2025 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Vietnam-Poland diplomatic ties. The two sides will actively implement a consultation mechanism on economic cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. They will consider establishing an Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic Cooperation between the two countries, continue to effectively carry out the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), thus facilitating stronger market presence for each other's goods. They will encourage Polish businesses to increase investment in Vietnam, particularly in pharmaceuticals, information and communication technology, renewable energy, processing and manufacturing industries, mining, and shipbuilding. On the occasion, Hang proposed that the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs continue providing opportunities for Vietnamese diplomats to attend its short-term training courses on international law. On global and regional issues of shared concern, host and guest underlined the importance of settling disputes and conflicts in line with international law and the United Nations Charter. Regarding the East Sea issue, they called for ensuring peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.