Third session of Viet Nam - Slovakia Intergovernmental Committee on economic cooperation

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Phan Thi Thang, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and co-chair of the Vietnamese subcommittee of the Intergovernmental Committee, and comprised representatives of Vietnamese ministries. Also joining the delegation's activities were Pham Truong Giang, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Slovakia, and officials from the Trade Office of the Embassy of Viet Nam.

The Slovak delegation was led by State Secretary Vladimir Šimoňák of the Ministry of Economy, together with officials representing Slovak ministries and sectors and representatives of Slovak businesses. In his capacity as co-chair of the Slovak subcommittee of the Intergovernmental Committee and on behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, State Secretary Vladimir Šimoňák welcomed the Vietnamese delegation to the session.

The third session of the Viet Nam - Slovakia Intergovernmental Committee on Economic Cooperation in Bratislava.

The third session of the Intergovernmental Committee between the two countries took place against the backdrop of new developments in the friendly relations and economic and trade cooperation between Viet Nam and Slovakia. In a friendly atmosphere of mutual understanding, the two heads of delegation briefed each other on the socio-economic development of their respective countries and reviewed the bilateral cooperation between the two sides over the past period.

The two sides agreed that although Viet Nam–Slovakia cooperation had made positive progress, it remained modest and had yet to match the two countries' sound political relations, as well as their potential and aspirations.

The two sides focused on discussing and reaching agreement on a number of important issues aimed at further promoting multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, particularly in politics, diplomacy, trade, industry, agriculture, science and technology. They also agreed on the need to step up exchanges of delegations at all levels, strengthen information sharing through various channels, and encourage businesses to open representative offices or branches and establish joint ventures in each other's markets.

In her remarks, Deputy Minister and Head of the Vietnamese delegation Phan Thi Thang briefed the Slovak side on several highlights of Viet Nam's economic development in recent years. The traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries have continued to be consolidated and developed, particularly as sound political relations, reflected in the exchange of high-level delegations in recent times, have created momentum for economic, trade and investment ties between the two countries.

At present, the economies of Viet Nam and Slovakia are developing at a high pace and becoming increasingly integrated into the global and regional economies. This has created favourable conditions for expanding bilateral cooperation in the areas of economy, trade and investment.

State Secretary Vladimir Šimoňák expressed his pleasure at the continued development of relations between the two countries and concurred with the views presented by Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang. The State Secretary said he was impressed by Viet Nam's achievements in the process of international integration and economic growth, highly valued the country's human resources and said Slovakia was ready to facilitate Vietnamese students' study and research in Slovakia.

Highly appreciating the friendly and cooperative relations between Slovakia and Viet Nam in recent years, the State Secretary expressed his confidence that solidarity and friendship between the two countries and peoples would continue to be consolidated and develop positively. He also expressed his hope that this session of the Intergovernmental Committee would help mark a period of practical and effective cooperation, contributing to increased trade exchanges, stronger investment cooperation and expanded cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.

Against the backdrop of the strong relations between the two countries, the potential and opportunities for trade cooperation between Viet Nam and Slovakia in the coming period are substantial. Slovak businesses are seeking to cooperate with Vietnamese partners in projects in mechanical engineering and manufacturing, energy, construction materials and environmental treatment in Viet Nam.

Building on the results achieved over the past period, the two sides agreed that the third session of the Viet Nam–Slovakia Intergovernmental Committee was important in identifying orientations for implementing cooperation agreements under the new circumstances and discussing measures to create breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation.

Signing ceremony of the minutes of the third session of the Viet Nam - Slovakia Intergovernmental Committee.

During their working visit to Slovakia, the Vietnamese delegation held meetings and working sessions with various relevant ministries and agencies.

At the conclusion of the session, the two co-chairs of the subcommittees signed the minutes of the third session of the Viet Nam–Slovakia Intergovernmental Committee on Economic Cooperation in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Also within the framework of the event, the two co-chairs witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation to promote trade and investment between the Slovak Chamber of Commerce with ASEAN countries (SCC ASEAN) and the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in Slovakia, signed by the Viet Nam Trade Office on behalf of the Vietnamese side. The MoU aims to establish a long-term framework for cooperation, support business connectivity through B2B activities and promote bilateral trade promotion activities.