VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam attached importance to enhancing multi-faceted cooperation with the UK and the EU, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in Ha Noi yesterday, March 18.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung receives former British PM Tony Blair yesterday.

Hosting a reception for Tony Blair, Dung spoke highly of his guest's contributions to elevating the two countries' co-operative ties to a strategic partnership and said that the partnership's achievements had brought practical benefits for each side's development.

The PM expressed his hope that Blair would further contribute to strengthening co-operation between Viet Nam and the UK – and the EU – in all fields.

The former British PM said he was impressed by Viet Nam's comprehensive achievements in national construction, socio-economic development and integration, holding that such gains had helped heighten the country's position in the international arena.

Blair said his office was working closely and effectively with the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry to support economic, trade and investment co-operation between the two countries.

He pledged to continue supporting relations between Viet Nam and the UK as well as between Viet Nam and the EU in all areas, especially in economics and public-private partnerships.

Meeting former EC leader

On the same day, PM Dung also met with former Italian prime minister and former president of the European Commission (EC) Romano Prodi.

"Viet Nam attaches importance to and wishes to enhance co-operation with Italy and European Union countries in all fields on the basis of equality for mutual benefits and development," Dung said.

The PM affirmed Viet Nam's desire to be a friend, trust-worthy partner and responsible member of the international community for peace, prosperity and development.

Viet Nam and other ASEAN countries wish to maintain peace and stability in the region and successfully establish the ASEAN Community by 2015, Dung noted.

He expressed his hope that Prodi and the EU would continue contributing to peace and stability in the region and support Viet Nam in solving disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means on the basis of international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He praised Prodi's contributions to boosting the strong relations between Viet Nam and Italy, the EC and the EU.

For his part, the former EC President expressed his delight with the growing relations between Viet Nam and Italy as well as between Viet Nam and the EU.

He underlined the need for all countries to overcome differences to co-operate with not only traditional friends but also others for the common goal of peace, prosperity and development, especially as international relations experience rapid and multidimensional changes.

Prodi pledged to do his utmost for the development of relations between Viet Nam and the EU – and between Viet Nam and Italy in particular.

Source: VNS