The ongoing visit of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, slated from October 26-28, is expected to contribute to strengthen the traditional friendship and expand multifaceted cooperation between the two nations, particularly in economy, trade, investment and labor.
Slovak leader is accompanied by Foreign Minister Jan Kubis, Minister of Economy Lubomir Jahnatek, Slovak Ambassador to Thailand-cum-Vietnam Vasil Pytel, and other senior officials.
During the visit, the first by a Slovak prime minister since the country split from Czechoslovakia in 1993, PM Fico will attend the inauguration of a Slovak embassy in Hanoi and a Vietnam-Slovakia business forum.
Since 1994, the two nation’s diplomatic relationship has witnessed exchange of high-ranking delegations, including trips to Slovakia by Deputy PM Tran Duc Luong in 1994, National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh in 1995 and vice Presdient Truong My Hoa in 2005. Vietnam welcomed reciprocation visits by Slovakia’s PM Vladimir Meciar in 1994, President Ivan Gasparovic in 2006 and President of the Communist Party of Slovakia Jozef Hrdlicka in 2008.
The two countries have signed cooperative documents on diplomacy, health care, culture and aviation, particularly an economic agreement in 2006 which helps Vietnam access to the EU market through Slovakia.
However, the two-way trade represented a slow increase from US$7.5 million in 2001 to US$75 million last year.
Currently, there are nearly 5,000 Vietnamese people living and working in the central European country.
Separately, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung October 25 ratified the Finance Ministry’s draft on the signing of an agreement on avoidance of double taxation with the Slovak government. (VOV, Saigon Liberation)
Vietnamese
