Place

Austria-Vietnam Relations Strengthened Through People-to-People Ties

During his official visit to Austria, State President Vo Van Thuong had a meeting with Prof. Dr Alfred Gerstl, President of the Austria-Vietnam Friendship Association. In their discussion, they explored avenues of possible cooperation based on the strong friendship between the two countries.

Administrator

26 July, 2023

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During the meeting on July 23rd, President Thuong expressed his joy in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vietnam – Austria diplomatic relations in 2022. He highlighted the long-standing traditional relationship between the two countries, which has resulted in regular high-level contact activities aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation.

During his official visit to Austria, State President Vo Van Thuong met with Prof. Dr Alfred Gerstl, the President of the Austria-Vietnam Friendship Association (Photo: VOV).

Vietnam – Austria diplomatic relation (1972 – 2022)

The two countries celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2022, with many positive results in cooperation through building economic, trade, and investment links, as reported by VOV.

Austria is currently one of Vietnam’s top 10 partners in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching over US $2.7 billion last year.

Thanks to many achievements in bilateral ties over the years, there is a positive indication that more Austrian investors and businesses are interested in partnering with Vietnam in the future. One recent piece of good news is the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) coming into effect, leading to a substantial increase in bilateral trade turnover.

President Thuong also emphasized the important role of the Austria-Vietnam Friendship Association in strengthening the relationship between the people of the two countries.

State President Vo Van Thuong and representatives of the Austria-Vietnam Friendship Association at the meeting (Photo: VOV).

The Austria-Vietnam Friendship Association was established in 1973, shortly after the two countries officially established bilateral ties. President Thuong expressed his appreciation for Peter Jankovich, the former chairman, and his contributions to Vietnam over the past 50 years. He believed that Dr. Gerstl, in his new position as the Association’s Chairman, will organize many friendship exchanges to strengthen mutual understanding and support between the two peoples.

In response, Dr. Gerstl reaffirmed that Vietnam plays an important role in Austria’s foreign policy, especially in terms of trade and investment. Vietnam has gained global recognition for its achievements in economic development, and bilateral coordination and exchanges in culture and arts have been spoken of highly, said Dr. Gerstl.

Both the host and the guest agreed that the Austria-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Vietnam-Austria friendship associations will continue to foster a good relationship between the two peoples over the next 50 years.

The same day, President Thuong had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Austria and the Union of Vietnamese People Associations in Europe and visited the Vietnamese Embassy in the European nation.

Zoey Nguyễn