Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc began an official visit to Austria on October 14 as part of his trip to Europe. 

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrived in Viena on October 14.

Austria was one of the first Western countries setting up diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1972, when the Southeast Asian nation’s struggle for national independence was still going on. 

The two countries have maintained all-round cooperation through regular high-level meetings and exchange of visits, along with cooperation at multilateral forums like the United Nations and the ASEM.

In 1995, the two sides set up a joint working group to bolster collaborative ties in economy, trade and investment. In August, 2010, the group was upgraded to the Vietnam-Austria intergovernmental committee at deputy ministerial level on cooperation in economy and trade. The committee held the 9th meeting in March last year.

Two-way trade has grown in recent years, surpassing 4 billion USD in 2017. Vietnam’s exports to Austria include telephones and spare parts, footwear, wood and wooden products, garments, machines, equipment and spare parts. Meanwhile, the country imports pharmaceuticals, machines, equipment, steel,  paper, animal feed, and materials from Austria. 

Austria is the 6th largest importer of Vietnam in Europe. Vietnam earned 2.58 billion USD from shipments to the central European country in the first seven months of 2018, up 47 percent year on year, while spending 167 million USD purchasing Austrian goods, 16 percent lower than the same time last year.

By August 2018, Austria ranked 43rd among 129 countries and territories having investments in Vietnam, with 31 valid projects valued at 143.9 million USD. Most of the projects are of small and medium sizes, focusing on processing, manufacturing, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment.

Regarding Austria’s official development assistance (ODA), the preferential loans have been used to develop Vietnam’s railway, medical equipment, fire fighting and prevention, and vocational training, among others.

Besides, the two countries have experienced thriving cooperation in culture. Austria annually sends experts to give lecture at the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, and the Vietnam National Academy of Music. They inked a Memorandum of Understanding on cultural cooperation on the occasion of the Austrian President’s visit to Vietnam in May 2012.

Austria grants some 20 post-graduate scholarships to Vietnam every year, and the Austrian Embassy in Hanoi has supported Vietnamese universities which offer German language training with teaching and studying material and equipment.

Austria is the first stop of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his trip to Europe, during which he will also pay official visits to Belgium and Denmark, make a working visit to the European Union and attend the 12th ASEM Summit (ASEM 12) and the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 Summit (P4G).

PM meets overseas Vietnamese in Austria

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (centre) and his spouse (next to Phuc on the right) are welcomed by the Vietnam Embassy’s staff and Vietnamese expatriates in Autria 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse had a warm meeting with the Vietnam Embassy’s staff and Vietnamese expatriates in Austria right after arriving in the European country on October 14.

Among hundreds of overseas Vietnamese participating in the event, many travelled from Eastern European nations like Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland to Austria for the meeting.

Reporting to the Government leader on the local expat affairs, Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Le Dung said the Vietnamese community in Austria numbers over 4,000, most of who live in Vienna. According to him, most Vietnamese nationals in Austria have stable jobs and obey the host country’s law. The community keeps close contact and often organises charity activities to support disadvantaged people in Vietnam.   

Participating expatriates said with delight that they have received frequent assistance from the Vietnamese diplomatic representative agency. 

They said they have made efforts to teach Vietnamese and spread Vietnamese culture among their community in order to preserve the national cultural characteristics.

PM Phuc informed the participants on significant progress of their home land recently, underscoring the nation’s open foreign diplomacy and policy of deep integration into the global economy and trade.

Overseas Vietnamese is an integral part of Vietnam, he affirmed.

Phuc urged the expatriates to enhance the teaching of Vietnamese language, particularly among the second generation, as a basis to maintain their roots. He requested the Foreign Ministry and diplomatic representative missions overseas to come up with specific policies to support the work.

He assigned relevant agencies to research and issue more favourable policies on nationality for overseas Vietnamese and facilitate their investment in Vietnam.

Vietnam always welcomes the expatriates’ contribution to the development of their home country, Phuc stated.

On the occasion, the PM presented gifts to the expats and urged them to continue fostering the friendship between Vietnam and their host nations.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Vienna in the afternoon of October 14 (local time), beginning an official visit to Austria at the invitation of his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz. 

Austria is the first stop of the PM during his trip to Europe, during which he will also pay official visit to Belgium and Denmark, make a working visit to the European Union and attend the 12th ASEM Summit (ASEM 12) and the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 Summit (P4G).

VNA