Vice NA Chairman Luu visits the Netherlands

At a meeting with OPCW Director General Ahmet Uzumcu, and Deputy Director General Grace Asirwatham, Luu noted Vietnam was one of the first countries joining the organisation and signing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

The country has well responded to all requests of the OPCW technical secretariat for member states, and enhanced information dissemination to raise awareness of the CWC among sectors and businesses.

Since 2013 Vietnam has received and worked with the OPCW’s technical and inspection teams at its chemical plants, he said.

Luu proposed that the OPCW continue to provide training, supply testing equipment, send experts to Vietnam for experience sharing, receive Vietnamese citizens to work at its centres, and help Vietnam prevent and deal with chemical incidents.

He also briefed his hosts on China’s placement of its floating drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. He said the move is a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction, as well as international law, especially the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

Luu reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of resolving the territorial dispute by peaceful measures in accordance with international law. He called on the international community and organisations, including the OPCW, to support Vietnam’s stance.

He invited OPCW Director General Uzumcu to visit Vietnam in the near future.

The same day, the NA delegation held talks with a House of Representatives delegation led by Raymond de Roon, President of the House’s Committee on Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.

Raymond de Roon hailed Vietnam’s efforts in maintaining steady economic growth despite the global economic-financial turmoil, and hoped to learn from it.

Luu spoke highly of effective cooperation between the two countries, noting that two-way trade hit US$6.2 billion last year. He especially appreciated the Netherlands’ shifting of its policy from development cooperation to development investment in Vietnam, and expressed hope that the Netherlands will soon become a leading European investor in Vietnam.

He thanked the Dutch government for supporting the European Unions’ statement on the situation in the East Sea, as well as the Dutch PM, the House and people for backing Vietnamese people’s just struggle to defend its sovereignty.