Latvia wants to strengthen multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, particularly between the two legislatures, Speaker of the Latvian Parliamentary Assembly of Inara Munierce has said. 

Vietnamese Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh ​(L) and Speaker of the Latvian Parliamentary Assembly Inara Munierce 

During her meeting with visiting Vietnamese Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh in Riga on October 20, Munierce said the two nations should increase the exchange of delegations at all level and boost cooperation in potential fields such as information technology and education-training.

She suggested Latvia and Vietnam enhance cooperation in preventing illegal immigration and applauded the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), expressing her hope that the agreement will be signed soon.

For her part, Thinh affirmed that Vietnam attaches significance to the traditional friendship between the two countries and wants to beef up multifaceted cooperation with Latvia, including relations between the two parliaments.

She suggested the two sides discuss and soon sign agreements on educational cooperation, visa exemptions for diplomatic passport holders and aviation, among others to create a legal framework for bilateral cooperative ties.

Thinh called on the Latvian Parliamentary Assembly to create favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese in Latvia, thus helping them to promote their role as a bridge to connect bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, investment, education-training, culture and tourism.

During a working session with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkievics, Thinh spoke highly of strides in the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations, particularly in economy and trade.

She suggested the two sides jointly deploy measures to boost bilateral cooperation in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, education-training, and science-technology.

Rinkievics welcomed Thinh’s visit on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-Latvia diplomatic ties, and agreed with the latter’s proposal to increase delegation exchanges between the two States and Governments in order enhance mutual understanding.

Latvia and Vietnam should support their enterprises in trade and tourism promotion activities, while beef up cultural and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

Rinkievics expected that Latvia will be one of the first EU nations to ratify the EVFTA, considering it as a key factor to boost economic-trade cooperation between Vietnam and the EU in general, and Latvia in particular.

The two sides agreed to support each other at international forums, particularly the United Nations and to sign an agreement on educational cooperation on the sidelines of the ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting in the Republic of Korea in November 2017.

They consented to negotiate agreements on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders and reception of returned citizens.

Vietnam and Latvia also agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating transnational criminals, and share experience in joining the UN peacekeeping force as well as search and rescue operations.-VNA