President Truong Tan Sang and his Icelandic counterpart Olafur Ragnar Grimsson shared the wish for stronger economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries during their talks in Hanoi on November 4. 


{keywords}

President Truong Tan Sang and Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson inspect the guard of honour at the President Palace in Hanoi. 


At the talks, President Sang said that the visit would create a new framework for cooperation between the two countries. 

He informed President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson that Vietnam is switching to the quality growth model while accelerating the restructuring of the economy for rapid and sustainable development towards modernisation and industrialisation. 

He also highlighted Vietnam’s policy of international integration, adding the country has joined many bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, contribute to peace and stability in the region and deepen relations with all partners in continents. 

In the relationship with Iceland, President Sang recommended the increase of exchanges and contacts in all levels. He welcomed the deal on cooperation in geothermal energy signed between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the visit. 

The two sides need to assist their enterprises in seeking business opportunities and connectivity, especially in fields where Iceland has the upper hand and Vietnam has demand, such as seafood fishing and processing and renewable energy, the President said. 

President Sang also thanked Iceland and the European Free Trade Association for recognising Vietnam as a market economy and wished that Iceland speed up negotiations of a free trade agreement between the two countries, taking into consideration the development gap, and conclude the negotiation in the earliest possible time, thus allowing enterprises from the two countries to approach opportunities in each market.

President Sang also recommended that the two countries study the possibility of negotiating and signing cooperation agreements on education and training, as well as exchanging experience on social welfare, gender equality, and the care for children and the disabled. 

He hoped the Icelandic government will continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Iceland to integrate into the host society and play the role as a bridge to boost the friendship between the two countries. 

President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson thanked Vietnam for the warm reception given to the Icelandic delegation and recalled his participation in protests against the war in Vietnam. 

President Grimsson said his visit aims to expand cooperation with Vietnam in many fields, especially in sustainable fishery, the exploitation and use of clean energy, and academic exchanges between universities.

He noted the importance of the framework agreement on climate change signed in Paris on October this year, and urged Vietnam to actively take part in that positive dialogue mechanism. 

Iceland is willing to help Vietnam develop renewable energy as a way to respond to climate change and for the sake of the environment. 

The President said two conferences on fishing, renewable energy and thermal power will be held during the visit and promised to provide more scholarships to Vietnamese students to pursue study in these fields. 

He also agreed with his host on the need to end negotiation on free trade agreements between Vietnam and the EU, the European Free Trade Association and Iceland as early as possible. 

Exchanging views on a number of regional and international issues of shared interest, President Sang thanked Iceland for supporting Vietnam’s bid to join the United Nations Human Rights Council, the UN Economic and Social Council ( ECOSOC ) and hoped Iceland will support Vietnam to become a member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.

Touching upon the East Sea issue, the two leaders shared concerns on recent happenings and emphasised the need to resolve disputes via peaceful measures in line with international laws, the UN Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. 

They also agreed that relevant parties need to reach a binding Code of Conduct for the East Sea (COC), considering it as an effective way to ensure peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of maritime navigation and aviation and trade in the East Sea. 

After the meeting, the two Presidents witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of geothermal energy between the MoIT and the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an MoU on cooperation between the Vietnam National University of Hanoi and the Reykjavík University. 

The President also held a joint press conference following their talks and informed the media on the reached measures to promote bilateral ties.

Party chief welcomes first visit by Icelandic President

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong welcomed President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the first Icelandic President to visit Vietnam, at a reception in Hanoi on November 4.

He spoke highly of the outcomes of talks between the Icelandic President and President Truong Tan Sang as well as a range of agreements reached during the visit.

General Secretary Trong said as both sides have supplementary strengths, they should boost multi-faceted bilateral cooperation, including in the fields of trade-investment, education-training, energy and the environment.

President Grimsson, once a student who took to the streets in support of Vietnam’s struggle for national independence and freedom decades ago, said the visit affords him a chance to witness Vietnam’s transformation from a war-torn into a peaceful and developing country.

The Icelandic government wants to nurture trade-investment, and education-training ties with Vietnam, and stands ready to share its experience in the fields of the environment, sustainable aquaculture and clean energy, he stated.

The President shared development experience gained by North European countries and Iceland in particular, and expressed his belief that the bilateral ties will develop further for the sake of the two peoples, and for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

National Assembly Chairman welcomes Icelandic President

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on November 4 received Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson who is on a state-level visit to Vietnam. 

At the meeting, NA Chairman Hung thanked the President and Iceland’s people for supporting Vietnam in the resistance war of national liberation in the past as well as in the construction cause today. 

He expressed his pleasure at the progress in bilateral relationship on many fields, but noted that the bilateral cooperation is still below potential. 

The legislative leader said he hopes after the Icelandic President’s visit, cooperation between the two countries will see strong growth, benefiting both countries and the peace and prosperity in the world. 

Chairman Hung said being one of countries suffering the most severe impact of climate change, Vietnam is willing to closely cooperate with Iceland and international communities to respond to this danger. 

He also informed the President that at its on-going session, Vietnam’s NA is discussing an action plan to achieve sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations General Assembly at the end of September. 

At the same time, the Vietnamese legislature is making efforts to complete policies and laws to develop the country and improve the life of its people. 

The Chairman asked President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson to support and promote the cooperation between two legislatures in fields of shared interests. 

He voiced agreement with recommendations made by Iceland in increasing cooperation in fishing and seafood, energy, responses to warming climate and rising sea level, and suggested agriculture as another potential field as this is one of Vietnam’s strengths. 

Thanking Chairman Hung for his warm reception, the Icelandic President affirmed the visit aims to promote connectivity between the two countries, business communities in order to make better use of advantages and potential of each country. 

The President said Iceland is willing to share experience with Vietnam in various fields, especially renewable energy industry, fishery, information technology, education and training, climate change and social welfare.

Prime Minister vows to deepen ties with Iceland

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy to further deepen ties with Iceland during a meeting with President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson in Hanoi on November 4.


{keywords}

Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson (left) and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung 



Expressing his delight at the outcomes of talks between the Icelandic President and President Truong Tan Sang, the PM hoped that both sides will continue the exchange of visits to create the foundation for economic, trade and investment ties, particularly in fields of Iceland’s strength and Vietnam’s demand, including fisheries, environment, clean energy and information technology.

He suggested building legal frameworks for collaboration across education, science-technology, culture and tourism while working closely together at international forums, especially at the United Nations.

PM Dung asked for Iceland’s support of the early signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association.

He hoped that Iceland will continue providing assistance for Vietnamese nationals living and working in the country, contributing to raising mutual understanding between the two peoples.

President Grimsson, in response, stated that Iceland wants to expand its partnership with Vietnam to various fields, especially in clean farming using advanced technologies, aquaculture, food processing and energy.

Iceland is also willing to work with Vietnam in the areas of health care and university training, he said, adding that the country expects to partner with Vietnam to devise solutions to cope with climate change and rising sea level as well as to conserve natural resources and the environment.

Mentioning the East Sea issue, the guest underscored Iceland’s firm support of Vietnam and ASEAN’s stance on the issue, stressing that the issue must be settled peacefully in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Deputy PM receives Icelandic foreign minister

Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry and Iceland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade should work together to boost engagements between their countries’ ministries, localities and businesses, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has said.

Meeting Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson in Hanoi on November 4, Minh stated that Vietnam highly values ties with traditional friends in Europe, including Iceland.

He thanked Iceland for backing Vietnam’s bid for a seat at the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 tenure and the United Nations Socio-Economic Council for 2016-2018.

He wished that the two nations would continue close liaison and consultations as well as mutual support at regional and global forums.

Sveinsson, for his part, said the visit of the Icelandic President is to execute the policy of expanding ties with Asia, in which Vietnam is a significant partner.

Both sides reached consensus on launching joint work in the areas of trade-investment, aquaculture, renewable energy, tourism, education-training.

They also agreed to accelerate the negotiations and signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association, creating a favourable framework for expanding bilateral trade and investment links.

Host and guest also discussed regional and global issued of shared concern, including the East Sea issue.

VNA