European media highlight Vietnamese NA Chairman’s visit

From September 5-11, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is leading a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA to attend the fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP) in Austria, and pay a working trip to the European Parliament and Belgium, and official visit to Finland.

In his article published by the daily Agenzia Stampa Italia, Andrea Fais said the NA Chairman’s visit marks Vietnam’s first high-level external activity with the European Union following the 13th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 15th NA, and one year since the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) took effect.

The author wrote that EU leaders now consider Vietnam a leading partner in Southeast Asia and a bridge between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The EU is also assisting Vietnam in expanding ties with other powers and international organisations.

Bilateral economic and trade ties have grown substantially, thus laying a foundation to promote collaboration in other strategic areas on the mutually beneficial basis, he wrote.

In sustainable development, the article said the EU needs to facilitate the transfer of green technology to Vietnam, a field in which Italy has advantages. The EU also needs to expand official development assistance to clean energy development and environment improvement projects in Vietnam’s mountainous and rural areas.

The article also delved into bilateral cooperation in the COVID-19 fight and health care between the EU and Vietnam. Via the COVAX Facility, the EU has provided 2.4 million doses of vaccines for the country, demonstrating its commitments to Vietnam within the framework of the EU-Vietnam Framework Participation Agreement in crisis management.

Meanwhile, on Austria’s Die Meinung paper, author Khaled wrote the top Vietnamese legislator’s visit reflects Vietnam’s good will and wish to contribute to ensuring peace, enhancing multilateral cooperation and fulfilling sustainable development goals.

The article highlighted Vietnam’s stance on treasuring and promoting multilateral cooperation mechanisms to cope with global challenges at present.

According to the author, apart from discussions on multilateralism and peacekeeping, the fifth WCSP also focused on gender equality, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, inter-parliamentary cooperation and improving people’s lives in the world.

In Europe, websites of the Vietnamese communities in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy also regularly updated activities of the Vietnamese NA Chairman and the delegation during the visit./.