HCMC – Spain is willing to cooperate with Vietnam on high-speed rail development and share its expertise in the field, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.
On the sidelines of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in France, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on June 9 (local time), reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The two leaders agreed to effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the recently signed bilateral financial cooperation protocol.
They also committed to soon convening the first session of the joint committee on economy, trade, and investment in 2025, aiming to raise bilateral trade to over US$8 billion in the near future.
PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam seeks to further strengthen its multifaceted cooperation with Spain.
The Vietnamese leader called on Spain to support efforts to expedite the European Parliament’s ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to advocate for the EU’s removal of the “yellow card” on Vietnam’s seafood exports over illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
He also stressed the need for both sides to further open their markets to each other to diversify trade, products, and supply chains, and reduce dependence on any single market.
PM Chinh said Vietnam plans to send a working group to Spain to learn from its experience and strengthen cooperation in developing the railway industry. He also proposed that Spain support technology transfer and human resource training in this sector.
PM Pedro Sánchez agreed with PM Chinh’s remarks, affirming Spain’s desire to deepen bilateral ties with Vietnam.
As the country with the second-longest high-speed rail network in the world, Spain is ready to cooperate and share its expertise with Vietnam in this field, and welcomes the arrival of a Vietnamese working delegation, he said.
Spain also supports Vietnam in strengthening its comprehensive partnership and cooperation with the EU and in fully leveraging the potential of the EVFTA.
