Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called on Vietnam and Portugal to employ more solutions to raising their bilateral trade from nearly 400 million USD in 2015 to 500 million USD by 2020.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Portuguese Ambassador Francisco de Assis Morais e Cunha Vaz Patto

At a meeting with Portuguese Ambassador Francisco de Assis Morais e Cunha Vaz Patto in Hanoi on November 10, the PM suggested Portugal soon sign the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Vietnam-Portugal agreement on double taxation avoidance.

He and the ambassador shared the view that Vietnam and Portugal should enhance their collaboration in tourism, sports, and culture, thus promoting their economic and trade ties, as well as people-to-people exchange.

PM Phuc congratulated Portugal on former PM Antonio Guterres’s election as UN Secretary General for the five-year tenure, starting from January 1, 2017.

The ambassador stated that Portugal backs the EVFTA and will make every effort to swiftly reach the pact.

Portugal also supports and will soon seal the agreement on double taxation avoidance between the two countries, he added.

To boost its cultural exchanges with Vietnam, Portugal hopes to organise an exhibition on Portuguese arts and other activities in the country in the coming time, the diplomat said.

Source: VNA