Giau expressed his belief that once the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is ratified and takes effect, business opportunities will be opened up, helping to boosting Norwegian investment in Vietnam in the fields of maritime transportation, fishing ship building, oil and gas, aquaculture, renewable energy, consumer goods and information technology.
He spoke highly of Norway’s desire to join cooperation mechanisms with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and AIPA and agreed with Agdestein’s stance on the need to build and strengthen mutual trust as well as respect international law, including the United Nations’ legal framework.
Lauding the European country’s role and efforts to maintain peace, security and development cooperation in the world, Giau expected that Norway would support Vietnam and ASEAN’s justice stance on the settlement of disputes in the East Sea by peaceful measures in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Agdestein, for her part, said Norway wants to lift ties with Vietnam to a new height.
She said the Norwegian Parliament wants and stands ready to send a delegation to AIPA 41 to be held in Vietnam next year, and proposed holding meetings with the Vietnamese side on the sidelines of the meeting to discuss specific cooperation areas.
As a coastal country with water surface seven times larger than its mainland area, Norway fully backs Vietnam’s stance that big countries must respect and abide by international law, and respect marine sovereignty of nations, she said.
Since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in November 1971, relations between Vietnam and Norway have been growing. Two-way trade hit 363 million USD last year. The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on facilitating Vietnam – Norway trade and investment and the establishment of a bilateral working group for the work.
Norway now invests in 41 projects with a total registered capital of 166 million USD in Vietnam, ranking 41st out of 130 countries and territories investing in the country, mostly in Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau, Hanoi, Khanh Hoa, Binh Duong and Hai Phong.-VNA/VNP
