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| President Tran Dai Quang (R) and Polish Ambassador to Vietnam Barbara Szymanowska (Source: VNA) |
President Quang described the ambassador as one of the important factors helping to enhance the traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Poland.
He noted that Szymanowska has actively promoted cultural links through a number of arts exhibitions and performances along with activities to introduce Poland’s literature to Vietnamese people and bolster educational cooperation, thereby helping to bring the two cultures and peoples closer together.
He expressed his hope that with her experience and knowledge about Vietnam, Szymanowska, on a new position, will continue reinforcing the two countries’ friendship and cooperation in a more result-oriented manner.
The Vietnamese leader voiced his delight at the flourishing bilateral ties that date back almost seven decades ago, noting a State visit to Vietnam by Polish President Andrzej Duda in November 2017.
Economy, trade and investment partnerships have enjoyed great strides in recent years. Poland is currently the biggest trade partner of Vietnam in East-Central Europe when two-way trade hit a record of 1 billion USD in 2017. Its investment in the Southeast Asian nation doubled between 2014 and 2017 to reach over 182 million USD.
For her part, Ambassador Szymanowska stressed that the biggest success in her four-year term is the organisation of the Polish President’s trip to Vietnam. She added the Polish side hopes President Quang will soon visit Poland in 2019.
She said the two countries should further boost economic, trade and investment ties. The opening of a representative office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency in Ho Chi Minh City also aims to foster bilateral connections in these fields.
Poland believes that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will take effect soon so as to bring benefits to Vietnam, Poland as well as other EU nations, she noted.
The diplomat said as the number of Polish tourists to Vietnam is increasing, her country hopes that its citizens will receive visa exemption when visiting Vietnam. It also wants to expand cooperation in education and training since Vietnamese people who studied in Poland are a bridge linking the countries in all aspects.
Echoing the ambassador’s views, President Quang wants bilateral relations to become more substantive through maintaining mutual high-level visits and developing economic, trade and investment ties to match the fine political relationship. He also called for stronger connections between the countries’ sectors, localities and people.
He welcomed the opening of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency’s office in HCM City, adding that both sides should work together to find suitable projects to effectively disburse the preferential credit package committed during the Vietnam visit by Polish President Andrzej Duda.
At the meeting, the President also highly valued the two nations’ effective coordination at multilateral forums and thanked Poland for supporting Vietnam’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020 – 2021.
He asked Poland to continue supporting Vietnam’s comprehensive partnership and cooperation with the EU, including the EVFTA.
The leader also appreciated Poland’s support for the Vietnamese community in the country and hoped that it will continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese people to integrate into local society, thus helping to strengthen bilateral ties.
