Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh will begin a European tour of France, the Czech Republic and Poland on July 22, aimed at augmenting sustainable economic growth with the nations.

He will also attend the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) in Brussels, Belgium, on July 22-23.

Concretising Vietnam-France strategic partnership

The strategic partnership between Vietnam and France has been flourishing, continuing to branch out, and offering up new possibilities and cooperative mechanisms for the two countries to strengthen their bilateral relationship.

France is Vietnam’s fifth largest trade partner in Europe (with two-way trade reaching US$3.2 billion last year), and ranks second among foreign investors in Vietnam (with total investment capital of US$3.3 billion in 2013).

It is also the leading official development assistance (ODA) provider for Vietnam.

Education and training, culture, and science and technologies are prioritised fields in bilateral cooperation.

Minh’s visit aims to cultivate the Vietnam-France strategic partnership, implement the 2014-2016 action plan, enhance cooperation in economics, trade, environment, and climate change, and discuss regional and international issues of mutual concerns.

Promoting Vietnam-Czech economic relations

The traditional ties of friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and the Czech Republic have been consolidated and developed.

Economic, trade and investment cooperation and ODA has been maintained regularly in recent years.

Two-way trade turnover hit US$239 million last year while the Czech Republic’s investment in Vietnam reached US$64.4 million.

With nearly 60,000 Vietnamese people residing in the Czech Republic, the community is the largest in Central and Eastern Europe, making an important contribution to  strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Last year, the Czech Government recognized the community as the 14th ethnic minority group in the country, helping Vietnamese people actively develop and fully integrate into the residing society.

Minh’s visit aims to bolster bilateral relations, especially in economics and trade, increase cooperation between the two foreign ministries, bring into full play the role of the inter-Governmental committee, and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Boosting Vietnam-Poland multifaceted cooperation

The traditional ties of multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Poland are continuing to develop strongly. Poland is the largest trade partner of Vietnam in East Central Europe with two-way trade reaching a record high of US$500 million last year.

The Polish business community is bullish on Vietnam and has invested over US$100 million in 11 projects in the country.

Currently, around 30,000 Vietnamese nationals are residing in Poland.

During the visit, Deputy PM Minh will discuss measures to consolidate multifaceted cooperation, especially in economics, trade, education and training along with other measures to enhance cooperation at international forums.

Co-chairing AEMM for the first time

This is the first time ever that Vietnam will co-chair an ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) during its term serving as a Coordinator for ASEAN-EU dialogue relations (2012-2015).

The EU is the largest investor in ASEAN with total registered investment of US$23.4 billion, accounting for 22% of total FDI in ASEAN. It has committed EUR15 million in development aid to ASEAN for the 2013-2017 period, and plans to double the figure over 2014-2022.

The meeting is to review cooperation between ASEAN and the EU, including implementing the Nuremberg Declaration and devising a number of strategic orientations to amplify bilateral cooperation in the future.