Davos (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had separate meetings with his Cambodian and Slovakian counterparts as well as leaders of some international organisations in Davos, Switzerland on January 17 (local time) on the sidelines of the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF-54).

Meeting Cambodian PM Hun Manet, PM Chinh said that Vietnam has organised a solemn celebration of the victory of the war defending the southwestern border and, together with the Cambodian troops and people, defeating the genocidal regime, which was a chance to popularise the Vietnam-Cambodia traditional solidarity and mutual support to people in the two countries, especially the youth.

The two PMs shared the wish to increase transport connections between the two countries, including highway connectivity between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, and coordinate with Laos to promote “One journey – three destinations” tours.

They agreed to speed up the demarcation and border landmark planting on the remaining 16% of the shared borderline.

At the meeting with Slovakian PM Robert Fico, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always treasures the traditional friendship and all-round cooperation with Slovakia, and thanked the Government and people of Slovakia for their support throughout the past 70 years, especially in education and training.

The Vietnamese leader also thanked Slovakia for providing 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca to Vietnam amid difficulties in vaccine access, helping Vietnam overcome the pandemic and embark on economic recovery.

PM Chinh highly valued Slovakia’s support and signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and ratifying the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). He affirmed that Vietnam always supports Slovakian firms in investing in the country, and asked for Slovakia’s help to push for the removal of the European Commission's “yellow card” against Vietnamese seafood export.
 
The two PMs agreed to strengthen collaboration across all areas, especially education, while coordinating closely in settling regional and global issues, and supporting each other at multilateral forums such as the UN, ASEM and EU-ASEAN cooperation mechanisms.

The Slovakian PM said he hopes Vietnam will apply visa exemption for Slovakian citizens to create more favourable conditions for tourism, business and investment activities between the two countries.

PM Chinh thanked the Slovakian Government to recognise the Vietnamese community as an ethnic minority group of Slovakia, and expressed his hope that the European country will continue to assist the community in integrating into the host society.

Receiving Jose Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Board of the Vaccine Alliance GAVI, PM Chinh lauded the role of the alliance and Barroso himself in promoting the equal allocation of vaccine globally, especially in developing countries, during the pandemic period.

He highly valued the alliance’s effective cooperation with the health sector of Vietnam through providing financial support in adding new vaccines to the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) for Vietnamese children and implementing activities to eliminate measles and rubella and enhance vaccination quality, and supplying cold storage for vaccine preservation.
   
The Vietnamese Government leader called on GAVI to continue providing vaccines to Vietnam to prevent diseases and epidemics, build a concentrated vaccine trading centre at the Ministry of Health’s headquarters, and transfer mRNAvaccine production technology to Vietnam. He affirmed that Vietnam is willing to exchange vaccines with GAVI to facilitate vaccine access globally.

Barroso lauded Vietnam’s success in controlling COVID-19, and pledged to help Vietnam access vaccines for diseases, especially for the EPI, and build strategies and plans to receive the mRNAvaccine production technology. The alliance will also help connect Vietnam with experts and reputable businesses in vaccine production, he added.
                
Meeting World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang, PM Chinh thanked the organisation for supporting Vietnam over the years, including in building and implementing the National Intellectual Property Strategy until 2030, and expressed his hope that WIPO will continue to give Vietnam advice on how to do better in intellectual property protection.

For his part, Tang described Vietnam as a model in attaching importance to IP protection and innovation, and lauded the innovation spirit of Vietnamese youngsters. He affirmed that the organisation will continue to support Vietnam in these fields, especially in protecting IP rights in the traditional culture area.
   
PM Chinh said that Vietnam is building a communication programme to popularise the value of IP protection and called for WIPO’s assistance in the work. He invited the WIPO leader to visit Vietnam.

At a reception for Tedro Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), PM Chinh said that thanks to WHO’s support, Vietnam has controlled COVID-19 pandemic, re-opened the country and embarked on socio-economic recovery.

Vietnam calls on countries to unite and uphold multilateralism and a global and people-based approach in responding to global issues, including epidemics, he stated, hailing the leading role of the UN and especially WHO in this process.
 
The WHO leader pledged to continue assisting Vietnam in disease prevention and control and health care technology transfer, and asked for Vietnam’s support of negotiations for a Pandemic Preparedness Treaty towards the conclusion of the process in May 2024.
    
Meeting Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always attaches great importance to cooperation with ILO, and asked for the organisation’s support in dealing with issues related to labourers affected by energy transition and digital transformation.

Vietnam supports the UN and ILO’s initiatives, including the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, he stated.

The ILO leader spoke highly of Vietnam’s engagement in labour and employment issues.
   
The two sides agreed to continue to work closely together in the future, and uphold international solidarity, multilateral cooperation and the role of international organisations in the current unpredictable world situation.

Receiving African Union (AU) Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Amani Abou Zeid, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam highly values and hopes to bolster cooperation with African countries, especially in agriculture and trade. As an observer of the AU since December 2023, Vietnam wants to strengthen cooperation with the union, he stated.
       
Zeid said the AU wants to exchange experience with Vietnam in economic transformation, and suggested that Vietnam and the AU should strengthen cooperation in tourism, a promising area.

Talking to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, PM Chinh appreciated the WTO’s cooperation and support in Vietnam’s international integration in general and economic integration in particular. He voiced concerns about protectionism and new standards related to climate change, and pointed to difficulties posed by those obstacles to developing economies. He asked the WTO to persuade developed countries to provide technical support for developing economies, noting that a suitable roadmap is needed to meet those standards. The WTO Director-General described Vietnam as a success story in socio-economic development. She informed PM Chinh that a delegation of the EC had held a working session with the WTO, during which they listened to the views of developing countries and the WTO called for necessary technical support. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also announced the WTO’s ministerial conference at the end of February, expressing her hope that Vietnam will actively participate in the event. Also on January 17, PM Chinh also had brief conversations with Timor Leste’s PM Xanana Gusmão, Secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Dareen Bogdan-Martin, and Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope before concluding his trip to Davos for the WEF-24 on January 18.

At noon on January 18, PM Chinh and his entourage left Davos for an official visit to Hungary./.