Hanoi (VNA)🔜 – As part of his official visit to Romania from September 8–11, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Khac Dinh held meetings on September 9 with President of the Romanian Senate Mircea Abrudean, Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies Natalia Elena Intotero, and the Romania–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group.

During his meeting with Senate President Abrudean, NA Vice Chairman Dinh expressed his delight at paying his first visit to the beautiful and hospitable country of Romania. He also congratulated Romania on its socio-economic achievements and European integration efforts. For his part, Abrudean affirmed that the Romanian Parliament always supports strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and investment, as well as enhancing ties between Vietnam and the European Union (EU). He suggested both sides should discuss concrete measures to expand cooperation in education and training, defence industry, and tourism. including the early opening of a direct air route. He also extended his wish to soon visit Vietnam following an invitation from NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man. At his talks with the Vice President Intotero of the Chamber of Deputies, Dinh stressed that Vietnam attaches importance to its relations with traditional friends in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania. Intotero congratulated Vietnam on the successful celebration of its 80th National Day, welcomed Vietnam’s visa exemption for Romanian citizens, and noted the rising number of Romanian tourists visiting Vietnam. Dinh thanked Romania for its valuable support for Vietnam in the past struggles for independence and reunification as well as in its present development. He recalled Romania’s donation of 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, its role in promoting the signing of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) during its EU Council Presidency in 2019, and its early ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). The two sides agreed that their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation have grown strongly through regular high-level exchanges, including between parliamentary leaders, committees and friendship groups. They underlined that 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties with a range of celebratory activities, and pledged to elevate bilateral relations to a new height. Both sides highlighted effective mutual support at international forums such as the UN, ASEAN–EU and inter-parliamentary mechanisms, with Vietnam reaffirming its readiness to serve as a bridge between Romania and ASEAN. They welcomed the progress in parliamentary cooperation, including exchanges of delegations, the establishment of friendship groups, and proposed stronger exchanges among young and female legislators. On trade and investment, Dinh noted that bilateral turnover has grown by around 20% annually, especially since the EVFTA took effect, though it remains below potential. Romanian leaders expressed their wish to help push remaining EU members to ratify the EVIPA and urged the European Commission to remove the “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood exports. Romania also sought greater access for its agricultural products, particularly poultry, to the Vietnamese market, and proposed early signing of an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders. The two sides reaffirmed support for peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in line with international law. They also agreed to foster educational cooperation, recalling that Romania had trained nearly 4,000 Vietnamese experts and continues to provide 20 annual scholarships. Future collaboration will prioritise high-quality human resources in IT, AI, oil and gas, and pharmaceuticals. On this occasion, Dinh expressed gratitude and called on Romania’s parliamentary leaders to continue supporting the Vietnamese community in the country, helping them to settle down, integrate into local society, and serve as an important bridge for the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations. As part of the visit, he attended the celebration of Vietnam’s 80th National Day hosted by Ambassador Do Duc Thanh. The ceremony was joined by Romania’s Minister of Economy Radu-Dinel Miruta, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and many Romanian friends./.