Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

Meeting Cambodian PM Hun Manet, the two PMs shared the wish to increase transport connections between the two countries, including highway connectivity between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, and coordinate with Laos to promote “One journey – three destinations” tours. They agreed to speed up the demarcation and border landmark planting on the remaining 16% of the shared borderline.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Swiss President Viola Amherd. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

Meeting with Swiss President Viola Amherd, the two leaders agreed to adopt a flexible approach in negotiating the Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the bilateral Investment Protection Agreement to facilitate and ensure the interests of businesses and investors of the two countries. Both affirmed that they will continue to coordinate closely at regional and international forums.

At the meeting with Slovakian PM Robert Fico, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam always supports Slovakian firms in investing in the country, and asked for Slovakia’s help to push for the removal of the European Commission's “yellow card” against Vietnamese seafood export.

Receiving Jose Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Board of the Vaccine Alliance GAVI, PM Chinh called on GAVI to continue providing vaccines to Vietnam to prevent diseases and epidemics, build a concentrated vaccine trading center at the Ministry of Health’s headquarters, and transfer mRNA vaccine production technology to Vietnam. He affirmed that Vietnam is willing to exchange vaccines with GAVI to facilitate vaccine access globally.

Barroso pledged to help Vietnam access vaccines for diseases, especially for the EPI, and build strategies and plans to receive the mRNA vaccine production technology. The alliance will also help connect Vietnam with experts and reputable businesses in vaccine production, he added.

At a reception for Tedro Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), PM Chinh said Vietnam calls on countries to unite and uphold multilateralism and a global and people-based approach in responding to global issues, including epidemics, he stated, hailing the leading role of the UN and especially WHO in this process.

The WHO leader pledged to continue assisting Vietnam in disease prevention and control and health care technology transfer.

Also on Wednesday, PM Chinh also had brief conversations with Timor Leste’s PM Xanana Gusmão, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Dareen Bogdan-Martin, and Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope.