Hanoi (VNA) – PrimeMinister Pham Minh Chinh met with Speaker ofthe Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-aho in Hanoi on March 25,believing that his visit will generate an impetus to foster traditionalfriendship and all-around coꦕoperation between the two countries.

PM Chinh proposed that the Finnish Parliament support theEuropean Commission's early removal of the "yellow card" warningagainst Vietnamese aquatic products, and hasten the parliaments of EU memberstates' ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment ProtectionAgreement (EVIPA). He suggested that both sides should explore new potential for educational cooperation in vocational training, share experience inbuilding quality education systems, and expand student exchanges. He thankedand urged the Finnish Government and Parliament to continue creating favourableconditions for Vietnamese citizens living there, contributing to upholdingtheir role as a bridge for bilateral friendship and collaboration. Halla-Aho,for his part, acknowledged Vietnam as Finland’s most important economic partnerin ASEAN and wished to fortify bilateralcooperation to fully tap great potential between the two countries. Informing the host about Finland’s talent developmentprogramme, he extended a warm welcome to skilled Vietnamese workers andstudents to the European country for working and studying. The two leaders concurred on the need to explore new directions, approaches and impetusto further deepen bilateral relationship, partly via facilitating the exchangeof delegations at all levels and across the Party, State and NA channels, andoffering mutual support at multilateral forums for the sake of stability, peaceand sustainable development. They vowed to facilitate the connectivity among businessesand investors while fully tapping the benefits from the EU-Vietnam Free TradeAgreement (EVFTA), especially in areas of their demands and strengths such as hi-tech,green development, environment, agriculture, forestry and information technology. Both sides will continue effectively carry out the twoGovernments’ Framework Agreement on projects funded under the FinnishGovernment's Public Sector Investment Facility Scheme, with a focus on prioritiesto improve the competitiveness of the private economic sector, developknowledge-based economy, address challenges related to sustainable developmentand climate change, and promote sustainable development in the Mekong Delta. On global and regional issues of shared concern, they promisedto respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, and settle disputes throughpeaceful means, while upholding international law, particularly the 1982 UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Speaker expressed support for ASEAN's and Vietnam's stance on the EastSea issue, including ensuring safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, backing efforts of ASEAN and China to effectively and fully implement the Declaration onthe Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and formulate a Code of Conduct inthe waters (COC)./.