Published on : Tuesday, March 26, 2019
In the wonderful atmosphere of this special occasion, it is worth experiencing how Greece has grown in the years and established new ties on the international stage, including Việt Nam.
At the present time, Greek is the 15th largest economy among the 27 members of the European Union. As a developed country, the economy of Greece is comprised mainly by service sector (80%), industry (12%), as agricultural activities take up almost 3%. The strongest industries in Greece are tourism and merchant shipping. Every year, Greece lures over millions of visitors across the globe. Also, it’s the country to own the largest merchant fleet that comprises 16% of the total capacity of the world.
When it comes to Việt Nam, it is fascinating to see that in their history, both the countries share similarities and the progress of building the country. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1975, both sides have made persistent initiations to promote friendship along with multi-faceted cooperation. The two countries signed multiple contracts and financial agreements like a framework agreement on financial cooperation, industry and technology; a framework agreement on cooperation in tourism; agreement on cultural cooperation.
Last year marked major developments in bilateral ties as there were high-level visits by team members from both sides. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh paid an official visit to Greece on July 2018. In return, in December 2018, Terens Nikolaos Quick, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, headed a business delegation to Việt Nam to participate in the Việt Nam-Greece Business forum arranged by VCCI. As a result, a contract on Visa Exemption for diplomatic passports holders between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam and the Government of the Hellenic Republic has been sanctioned and came into effect from January 2nd, 2019. This will allow both countries to boost up the number of official visits and encourage diplomatic exchange at the same time.