Pham affirmed Viet Nam always attaches importance to promoting the friendship and comprehensive cooperation with the Netherlands across such fields like politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, defense-security, culture, education, agriculture, and climate change adaptation.

He spoke highly of Rutte’s active contributions to the advancement of the bilateral ties, especially since the two countries set up strategic partnership in climate change adaptation and water management in 2010.

Pham hailed the constant growth of the two-way trade which increased by 13 percent in the first ten months this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

He suggested the Netherlands soon ratify the EU-Viet Nam investment protection agreement in a bid to further strengthen trade and investment cooperation between the two nations.

 Rutte, for his part, highly valued Viet Nam’s achievements over the recent past, asking the two sides to coordinate closely to ensure fast and robust post-COVID-19 recovery.

The two Prime Ministers agreed on a list of future programs to be jointly carried out by the two countries and worked out orientations to enhance cooperation in seaports, education, tourism, sustainable agriculture and food security.

They also discussed how both countries would step up cooperation at multilateral forums over international and regional issues, including the East Sea issue.

The pair underlined the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation, settling disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and working towards the conclusion of a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Prime Minister Pham took the occasion to invite Prime Minister Rutte to visit Viet Nam again while the latter invited Pham to visit the Netherlands.