Following the ceremony, the two leaders held talks at the Victoria Palace.

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Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu (left) and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the welcome ceremony for the latter (Photo: VTV)

The visit, the first delegation exchange at the prime ministerial level between the two countries in five years, is taking place in the context of good development of the nearly-75-year-old Vietnam - Romania traditional ties and cooperation.

During his stay in Romania, PM Chinh will hold talks and have meetings with the Prime Minister, the President, the President of the Senate and the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania.

He will visit some Romanian localities and universities, attend the Vietnam - Romania business forum, receive representatives from the Romania - Vietnam Friendship Association, and meet staff at the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community in the country.

The visit aims at deepening the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, creating new driving forces to bolster bilateral collaboration across the fields of Romania’s strengths and in line with Vietnam’s development needs such as agriculture, processing and manufacturing, and health care.

Besides, it is expected to strengthen business cooperation and lure investment in potential fields, contributing to boosting the Vietnam - European Union ties.

Romania was one of the first 10 countries in the world to recognise and establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam.

While holding the rotating presidency of the E.U., Romania worked to push ahead with the negotiation and signing of the E.U.-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the E.U.-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

The two-way trade hit 425 million USD in 2022. As of the end of that year, Romania had five valid projects with total registered capital of 1.56 million USD, ranking 42nd among the 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

Source: VNA