Prime Minister meets foreign leaders on sidelines of 55th WEF annual meeting

At his meeting with UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop, Pham asserted Viet Nam's consistent stance of respecting Myanmar's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Viet Nam is always keeping a close eye on the situation in Myanmar and hopes for a prompt return to stability there, for the interests of the local people and for regional and global peace and stability, said the Prime Minister.

Viet Nam opposed embargo measures that negatively impact the lives of the Myanmar people and the Myanmar issue must be resolved by the Myanmar people themselves, through agreement, compromise, and the involvement of all relevant parties, he noted.

Pham stated that Viet Nam stands ready to do everything necessary to bring peace and stability to Southeast Asia and Myanmar, and cooperate with the UN towards this goal, including offering a venue for all parties involved to meet and discuss solutions for the Myanmar issue.

The Prime Minister shared the efforts of ASEAN and Viet Nam, as an active and responsible member of the ASEAN family, in promoting ASEAN's central role in driving and coordinating with all parties involved to seek peaceful solutions and reconciliation in Myanmar.

Viet Nam will continue to support, closely work, and actively assist Bishop in her role, said Pham, urging the UN Special Envoy on Myanmar to continue supporting ASEAN's central role and its efforts in promoting solutions for the Myanmar issue.

Bishop hailed Viet Nam's role in the region and shared her assessment of the current situation in Myanmar, as well as the UN' efforts to promote peaceful solutions to the Myanmar issue, including the adoption of resolutions by the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, and an initiative to organize a conference on the Rohingya issue and the Rakhine state.

She consented with the Prime Minister's proposals, emphasizing the need to prioritize calling on all parties in Myanmar to exercise restraint, cease violence, ensure the security and safety of the people, and resume dialogue with the participation of relevant parties to find a peaceful solution to the Myanmar issue.

She also affirmed her commitment to working closely with ASEAN to encourage dialogue among the concerned parties to seek a peaceful resolution to this issue.

Meeting with Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Mathias Cormann, Pham expressed gratitude for the OECD's support during Viet Nam's co-chairmanship of the Southeast Asia Regional Program, fight against COVID-19, and policy consultations.

Pham urged the Secretary-General to direct the organization's specialized committees to share expertise, provide policy advice, and assist Viet Nam in boosting its competitiveness towards aligning with the OECD's global governance standards.

He also called on the organization to support Viet Nam in preparing and publishing key economic reports, which will serve as essential references for long-term policy formulation.

The Vietnamese leader recommended the OECD consider Viet Nam's early accession to the organization and facilitate the inclusion of Vietnamese professionals within its Secretariat.

Pham invited Cormann to the 4^th Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 Summit, scheduled for April, and the 16th UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16)'s ministerial meeting in October, both to be organized in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam will send a representative to the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in June, demonstrating its strong commitment to and desire for closer collaboration with the organization, he said.

For his part, Cormann recognized Viet Nam as a dynamic and fast-growing economy, playing an increasingly significant role in Southeast Asia, a major driver of global economic growth.

The OECD stands ready to provide support through policy advice and assistance, including in Viet Nam's pursuit of OECD membership, underlined the OECD leader.

He vowed to facilitate Viet Nam's participation in the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises.

Cormann committed to enhancing connections between the OECD's specialized committees and Viet Nam's ministries and agencies, to further the effectiveness of their cooperation.

During the meeting with his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof, the Vietnamese leader proposed elevating political and diplomatic relations to new heights via increasing high-level exchanges.

He asked for concretizing sectoral strategic partnerships on climate change adaptation and sustainable agriculture by implementing specific and practical cooperation programs, particularly in the Mekong Delta and coastal regions.

Pham called on the Netherlands to ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) promptly and to advocate for the EU to lift the "yellow card" under the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing regulations imposed on Vietnamese seafood.

He took the occasion to invite Schoof to visit Viet Nam soon and attend the 4th Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit, to be hosted by the Southeast Asian nation in April 2025.

For his part, Schoof noted that the Dutch King and Queen are eager to visit Viet Nam again and affirmed the Netherlands' interest in exploring investment opportunities in Viet Nam's semiconductor chip sector.

At a meeting with his Liechtenstein counterpart Daniel Risch, Pham said Viet Nam expects to enhance its cooperation with Liechtenstein across spheres, particularly economy.

He proposed both sides continue to strengthen the legal framework for bilateral cooperation and explore new potential areas for collaboration.

Viet Nam hopes to soon conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which consists of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as to advance negotiations for and conclude an investment protection agreement, shared the Vietnamese leader.

Risch expressed his hope that the Viet Nam-EFTA FTA negotiations could be completed this year, and that both sides could proceed with talks for a double taxation avoidance agreement./.