Speeding up negotiation and signing of FTA Agreement between Vietnam and EFTA bloc

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son receives Norwegian Ambassador Grete Lochen. (Photo: CPV)

On August 10, Minister Bui Thanh Son received Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen by the end of her working term in Vietnam.

At the meeting, Minister Bui Thanh Son congratulated Ambassador Grete Lochen on successfully completing her term of office in Vietnam and highly appreciated the active role and effective contribution of the Ambassador personally to the development of the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Norway.

In the past time, the two countries have maintained visits and contacts of senior leaders; organized many activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations; and cooperated actively and effectively at multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations during the two countries' tenure as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2021 period.

Minister Bui Thanh Son also emphasized that the two sides need to continue working closely to exploit the potential of cooperation in fields where Norway has strengths and Vietnam has needs, such as marine economy, green energy transition, development, supply chain development, energy response, climate change response, and human resource training; while maintaining the momentum of development achieved in economic cooperation, development cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Noting that on the basis of the potential of economic cooperation between Norway and Vietnam, as well as the role of Norway as the coordinator of the negotiation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the EFTA, including Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, he suggested Norway accelerate the negotiation and signing of the FTA between Vietnam and the EFTA.

Ambassador Grete Lochen expressed her honor to assume the position of Ambassador of Norway to Vietnam and will keep good feelings about the country and people of Vietnam.

She affirmed she will always support and make efforts to cultivate the ever-growing friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Norway./.