Meeting with the Slovak National Council Speaker Pavol Pasca in Ho Chi Minh City on January 29, State President Nguyen Minh Triet said the two countries have a great potential for economic cooperation. Vietnam, he added, wants to boost cooperation with Slovakia, especially in the fields of energy and infrastructure development.

The State leader affirmed Vietnam’s support for Slovak investors with the hope that they will continue to seek opportunities in Vietnam.

He also expressed gratitude for Slovakia’s valuable support for the Vietnamese people’s past struggles for national independence and freedom and their current development process.

For his part, the Slovak National Council Speaker praised the fine relationship between the two countries, saying it will create a firm foundation for closer economic and trade cooperation, to which Slovakia is looking forward eagerly.

He said that as a member of the European Union (EU), Slovakia will support and protect Vietnam’s interests in the EU market. He also expressed his delight at a soon-to-be- established Vietnam-Slovakia inter-governmental committee and cooperative agreements between businesses of the countries.

The Speaker called for Vietnam’s support for a number of Slovak-funded projects, including a project to build an oil and gas production complex and a plan to open a direct air route between Hanoi and Bratislava.

Mr Pasca highlighted the remarkable contributions of more than 6,000 overseas Vietnamese people in Slovakia, considering them a valuable asset to cement the two nations.

During their three days in HCM City, Mr Pasca and his entourage visited the War Remnants Museum, Unification Hall and a number of small businesses in the city.