The site Vienna.at reported that Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen held talks with his guest in the capital city of Vienna with an aim of further expanding the bilateral diplomatic relations that have spanned over five decades since 1972.
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A screenshot of the article on the site Vienna.at |
Its article quoted the Austrian leader as saying the cooperation between the two nations that has transcended beyond economic matters and included programs on climate and the environment protection. He called Vietnam the most important trading partner of Austria in the ASEAN region, an open and dynamic economy, and an attractive destination for Austrian firms. The article also cited President Vo Van Thuong’s statement on Vietnam’s wish for even closer cooperation with Austria in various areas such as politics, economy, culture, and sports.
During the talks, the leaders discussed cooperation in the Indo - Pacific region and supported an international order based on the rule of law and strengthened multilateral systems. President Vo Van Thuong affirmed Vietnam's desire to be an active and responsible member of the international community, and to resolve conflicts through peaceful means based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.
The article also mentioned that this is President Vo Van Thuong's first visit to a country within the E.U. since taking office in March this year. Ahead of the talks, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son signed a memorandum of understanding on enhancing collaboration between the two nations.
Meanwhile, the website of the Austrian parliament (parlament.gv.at) reported on the meeting between President Vo Van Thuong and President of the Federal Council Claudia Arpa who emphasised Austria's keen interest in expanding good partnership with Vietnam in such areas as renewable energy and health care, among others. According to her, Europe can learn many things from Vietnam's culture of respecting the elderly. The two leaders also discussed the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Vietnam this September. Arpa said that Austria will send a delegation to the event. Both sides supported the strengthening of exchanges between the nations’ specialized parliamentary committees.
The official website of Vienna (presse.wien.gv.at) quoted Mayor Michael Ludwig as stating that President Vo Van Thuong’s official visit is an important step in maintaining and expanding the relationship between Vienna and Hanoi. According to the site, the Vietnamese State leader, in response, expressed his desire for deeper and broader cooperation between the two capitals across areas, especially tourism, culture, arts, city management, and environment.
In addition to the aforementioned sources, many other online newspapers in Austria such as diepresse.com, heute.at, vol.at, tvthek.orf.at, and puls24.at also covered the visit extensively, highlighting its significance in maintaining traditional relations and promoting future cooperation between the sides.
Source: VNA