Beijing (VNA) – Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong received Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing on September 3 afternoon, on the occasion of his attendance at the 80th anniversary of the world people's victory over fascism and working trip to China.

President Cuong conveyed the greetings of Party General Secretary To Lam, PM Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State to PM Fico and leaders of Slovakia.

He affirmed that Vietnam treasures the traditional relationship, and good friendship and cooperation with Slovakia, and thanked the Government and people of Slovakia for always supporting and accompanying Vietnam during the past struggle for national independence as well as the country's current process of development and international integration, especially for helping to train and foster many generations of Vietnamese officials.

The President shared with PM Fico the world and regional situation and Vietnam's development goals. He welcomed and highly appreciated the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Slovakia which has developed very positively in recent times, while the cooperation mechanisms and political consultations between the two countries have been maintained effectively, practically, intensively and substantively.

PM Fico expressed his special affection for Vietnam and its people. The PM said that he personally visited Vietnam many times, the first time since the 1990s of the last century, witnessed with his own eyes and was very impressed by Vietnam's development. He shared the strategic vision that the Party and State of Vietnam have set for development goals in the new era since the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The Slovak PM highly appreciated Vietnam's position and role in the region, and wished to continue promoting and enhancing the cooperative relationship with Vietnam to a new level. At the same time, he said that the Vietnamese community in Slovakia has deeply integrated into the local society, made practical contributions to the socio-economic development of Slovakia, and officially recognised by the Slovak Government as an ethnic minority of Slovakia, enjoying the rights stipulated by the Slovak Constitution.

In an atmosphere of friendship and trust, the two leaders agreed to develop bilateral relations in all fields from politics, economy, trade, energy, to tourism, education and training, and people-to-people exchange; and continue to carry out activities to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, while strengthening close coordination in resolving regional and global issues, and supporting each other at multilateral forums, such as the United Nations, the ASEAN-EU strategic partnership framework.

President Cuong asked Slovakia to prompt the European Commission (EC) to remove its IUU "yellow card" against Vietnam's seafood exports, and urge the remaining European Union (EU) countries to soon ratify the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

On this occasion, the President respectfully invited PM Fico and Slovak leaders to pay an official visit to Vietnam. PM Fico thanked and respectfully invited President Cuong and senior leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State to visit Slovakia at an appropriate time./.