Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has thanked the Finnish government for making Viet Nam one of its long-term partners.
During talks with Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen, he also thanked the Finns for continuing to grant Viet Nam preferential tariffs.
“Finland’s development assistance to Viet Nam, which totals about US$400 million, has been efficiently used”, he said. “Particularly in national programmes for poverty reduction, sustainable development, water supplies and reforestation”.
Hung, who is on a four-day visit to Finland, said the 35-year friendship between Viet Nam and Finland had now been raised to a higher level.
“Our Government will be a bridge for Vietnamese and Finnish enterprises to accelerate trade and investment until 2010”, he said.
During his meeting with Finnish President Tarja Halonen, Hung said he was elated to visit Finland as the two countries celebrated 35 years of diplomatic relations.
A key purpose of the visit was to execute high-level agreements reached during the Finnish President’s visit to Viet Nam last February, Hung said.
President Halonen spoke highly of Viet Nam’s achievements in its renewal process.
Halonen said she was very happy that bilateral relationship had reached the highest level in 35 years.
In Finland, before leaving for Sweden today, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung met overseas Vietnamese living and working there.
