Vietnam and Slovakia have agree to further promote bilateral tradeties by expanding investment cooperation in various areas, includinginfrastructure building, railway, renewable energy, environmentaltechnology and equipment, and food processing.

Theagreement was reached during talks between Deputy Prime Minister andForeign Minister Pham Binh Minh and his Slovakian counterpart MiroslavLajcak on November 4 in Hanoi .

They concurred tocontinue maintaining the mechanism of the Vietnam-SlovakiaInter-Governmental Committee on Economic Cooperation.

Both sides underscored the importance of fostering the traditionalfriendship and multi-faceted partnership between the two countries,which has a history of nearly 65 years.

The twoofficials discussed ways to enhance bilateral affiliation in the fieldsof politics-diplomacy, defence-security, economy-trade, culture,education-training, and development cooperation.

They reached high consensus on the need to increase delegationexchanges, as well as boost their coordination at regional andinternational forums, especially the United Nations and the Asia-EuropeMeeting (ASEM).

Slovakian Deputy PM and Minister forForeign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak revealed that his countryhas ratified the Vietnam-EU Framework Agreement on Partnership andComprehensive Cooperation, and supports the early conclusion ofnegotiations for the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The two sides also exchanged views on a number of regional andinternational matters of mutual concern, including the East Seaissue.

Deputy PM Minh used this occasion to thank the Slovakian Government for assisting the Vietnamese community in the country.

Following the talks, the two Deputy PMs witnessed the signing of amemorandum of understanding on cooperation in environmental protectionand water resource management between the Vietnamese Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment and Slovakia’s Ministry of Water Environment.-VNA