Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse arrive at the Oslo Gardermoen Airport, beginning his official trip to Norway (Photo: VNA)
The Vietnamese PM and his entourage were welcomed at the Oslo Gardermoen Airport by State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway Marianne Hagen, Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Norway Nguyen Hong Cuong, among other Norwegian and Vietnamese officials.
The trip took place as the two nations are about to celebrate the 50th establishment anniversary of their diplomatic relations (1971 - 2021). This is the first official visit by a Vietnamese PM to Norway since 1999, aiming to reaffirm the strong bilateral ties as well as boost friendship and cooperation toward effectiveness and practical outcomes.
As scheduled, PM Phuc will hold talks and meet a number of Norwegian leaders, attend the Vietnam - Norway business forum, and visits and receive representatives of some Norwegian enterprises.
Prior to his arrival in Norway, Phuc paid a four-day official visit to Russia, during which he held talks with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, and witnessed the signing of 14 cooperation pacts between the two nations in economy, trade, environmental protection, renewable energy, culture, and tourism, among others. The two leaders also attended the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Year in Russia and Russia Year in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese government leader also held meetings with President Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin, and Chairwoman of the Federation Council (upper house) of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko.
PM Phuc and Russian Deputy PM Maxim Akimov attended and delivered their speeches at the Vietnam - Russia Business Forum.
Phuc also held receptions for representatives of the association of Russian veterans who once fought in Vietnam and the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association, the Vietnamese Embassy, and Kaspersky Lab company. He attended a ceremony marking the inaugural operation of the Vietnamese-invested T&T Russia Co. Ltd and another celebrating 15 years of the opening of the Hanoi - Moscow direct air route./.