Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets foreign leaders on sidelines of 2nd AFF

Prime Minister Pham thanked the foreign leaders for accepting the invitation to attend the second AFF.

Meeting with the Timor-Leste President, Prime Minister Pham suggested the two sides accelerate negotiations on agreements related to trade, investment protection, labor, and visa exemption for holders of ordinary passports; and step up cooperation in finance, rice production, oil and gas, wind energy, and telecommunications. He also urged the Timor-Leste Government to invest in projects in Viet Nam.

In reply, President José Ramos-Horta asked Viet Nam to share its experience in building socio-economic policies and strategies; support Timor-Leste in areas where Viet Nam has strengths, such as agriculture, food security, digital economy, and infrastructure development.

The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in key areas such as security, defense, information and communications, education and training.

They also emphasized commitment to effectively utilize emerging trends like green economy, clean energy, and innovation and accelerate people-to-people exchanges through tourism and cultural interactions.

During the meeting with Lao Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Pham urged the two sides to spur the all-around cooperation from politics, foreign affairs, security and defense to investment, trade, transport connectivity, culture, education, healthcare, and science – technology.

Saleumxay Kommasith praised Viet Nam's initiative in organizing the second AFF, which, over the past two years, has affirmed Viet Nam's role in promoting peace and cooperation in the region, attracting the participation not only from ASEAN countries but also from many others across the region and the world.

Both sides agreed that the special solidarity between Viet Nam and Laos will continue to flourish and obtain greater achievements.

During his meeting with Prak Sokhonn, Prime Minister Pham called upon the two sides to finalize the remaining 16 percent of border demarcation and marker planting in favor of the establishment of the borderline of peace, stability, and sustainable development between the two countries.

The host leader asked the Cambodian side to resolve the legal status of people of Vietnamese origin in Cambodia, so that they can stabilize their lives and contribute to Cambodia's prosperous development and the bilateral friendship.

In order to effectively implement the high-level agreements between the two parties and the two countries, the two sides agreed to continue to enhance comprehensive cooperation in all areas, with a focus on strengthening connectivity, especially in infrastructure and road, railway, and maritime transportation.

Both sides also agreed to cooperate to manage and protect their land and sea borders for peace, stability, friendship, cooperation and development./.