President Tran Dai Quang receives outgoing Polish ambassador

President Tran Dai Quang (R) and Polish Ambassador to Viet Nam Barbara Szymanowska

President Quang described the ambassador as one of the important factors helping to enhance the traditional friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and Poland. 

He noted that Szymanowska has actively promoted cultural links through a number of arts exhibitions and performances along with activities to introduce Poland’s literature to Vietnamese people and bolster educational cooperation, thereby helping to bring the two cultures and peoples closer together.

He expressed his hope that with her experience and knowledge about Viet Nam, Szymanowska, on a new position, will continue reinforcing the two countries’ friendship and cooperation in a more result-oriented manner.

The Vietnamese leader voiced his delight at the flourishing bilateral ties that date back almost seven decades ago, noting a State visit to Viet Nam by Polish President Andrzej Duda in November 2017.

Economy, trade and investment partnerships have enjoyed great strides in recent years. Poland is currently the biggest trade partner of Viet Nam in East-Central Europe when two-way trade hit a record of US$1 billion in 2017. Its investment in the Southeast Asian nation doubled between 2014 and 2017 to reach over US$182 million.

For her part, Ambassador Szymanowska stressed that the biggest success in her four-year term is the organisation of the Polish President’s trip to Viet Nam. She added the Polish side hopes President Quang will soon visit Poland in 2019.

She said the two countries should further boost economic, trade and investment ties. The opening of a representative office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency in Ho Chi Minh City also aims to foster bilateral connections in these fields.

Poland believes that the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will take effect soon so as to bring benefits to Viet Nam, Poland as well as other EU nations, she noted.

The diplomat said as the number of Polish tourists to Viet Nam is increasing, her country hopes that its citizens will receive visa exemption when visiting Viet Nam. It also wants to expand cooperation in education and training since Vietnamese people who studied in Poland are a bridge linking the countries in all aspects.

Echoing the ambassador’s views, President Quang wants bilateral relations to become more substantive through maintaining mutual high-level visits and developing economic, trade and investment ties to match the fine political relationship. He also called for stronger connections between the countries’ sectors, localities and people.

He welcomed the opening of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency’s office in HCM City, adding that both sides should work together to find suitable projects to effectively disburse the preferential credit package committed during the Viet Nam visit by Polish President Andrzej Duda.

At the meeting, the President also highly valued the two nations’ effective coordination at multilateral forums and thanked Poland for supporting Viet Nam’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020 – 2021.

He asked Poland to continue supporting Viet Nam’s comprehensive partnership and cooperation with the EU, including the EVFTA.

The leader also appreciated Poland’s support for the Vietnamese community in the country and hoped that it will continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese people to integrate into local society, thus helping to strengthen bilateral ties. -VNA