Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the new Ambassador of Slovenia, Janez Premoze at a reception on February 22.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) welcomes ​Slovenian Ambassador Janez Premoze on February 22 

The PM noted that Vietnam-Slovenia relations have made progress in recent years, particularly in the fields of diplomacy-politics and trade. The two countries supported each other’s candidacy to some United Nations agencies, and bilateral trade grew 30 percent year on year in 2016.

PM Phuc said he hopes the Ambassador will work to raise bilateral trade value by three or four times during his tenure.

He called on Slovenian investors to do business in Vietnam, stressing that Vietnam will create the best possible environment for investors.

“We are willing to help and serve as a bridge for Slovenia to increase cooperation with ASEAN which is a large market with 600 million people,” PM Phuc said.

He urged the new Ambassador to persuade the Slovenian Government to provide ODA to Vietnam’s poor areas as well as to push for the signing of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (EV FTA). The PM believed the EV FTA will create a framework for more comprehensive and long-term cooperation between Vietnam and the EU, and between Vietnam and Slovenia.

Ambassador Janez Premoze affirmed that Slovenia always considers Vietnam an important partner, and will work for the signing of the EV FTA, thus boosting the trade ties between the EU and Slovenia and Vietnam.

He said he is working to organise a session of the Slovenia-Vietnam joint committee on economic cooperation within this year.

The ambassador pledged to promote Vietnam to the Slovenian business community, adding that the two countries also have opportunities to boost people-to-people and scientific exchanges.

VNA