He will attend the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting on July 22-23 in Brussels, Belgium.

Viet Nam-France Strategic Partnership concertized

Viet Nam-France Strategic Partnership has made progress with the two nations having launched such cooperative mechanisms as a ministerial-level strategic dialogue on national defense and security, a joint committee on National Defense Cooperation and a high-level dialogue on Viet Nam-France economy.

France is the fifth largest European trade partner of Viet Nam, reaping a two-way trade turnover of US$3.2 billion in 2013, and ranking second in terms of investment with US$3.3 billion.

The working visit of the Deputy PM aims to concertize the Strategic Partnership, launch action plans in 2014-2016 and step up cooperation in economics, trade, environment, climate change and other issues.

Viet Nam-Czech economic relations strengthened

The traditional and cooperative relations between Viet Nam and the Czech Republic have been enhanced in recent years.

Two-way trade turnover between the two countries in 2013 attained US$239 million and the Czech Republic's investment in Viet Nam reached US$64.4 million.

As many as 60,000 Overseas Vietnamese living in Czech were recognized as an ethnic minority group in 2013.

The official visit of Deputy PM Minh is expected to promote the bilateral relations, strengthen cooperation between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs and bring into full play the role of the Inter-Governmental Committee.

Viet Nam-Poland multi-faced relationship enhanced

Poland is the largest trade partner of Viet Nam in the East-Central Europe with a trade turnover of US$500 million in 2013. Poland invested in 11 projects in Viet Nam, worth US$100 million.

During his official visit to Poland, Deputy PM Minh will evaluate and exchange measures to accelerate the multi-faced relations, especially in economics, trade education-training.

Viet Nam co-chairs ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting

Viet Nam will chair, for the first time, the 20^thASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting as the Coordinator for ASEAN-EU dialogue relations.

The EU-ASEAN two-way trade turnover reached US$242.6 billion in 2013. The EU is the largest investor in ASEAN with US$23.4 billion, accounting for 22% of the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The EU has provided €15 million for ASEAN to strengthen regional connection in 2013-2017 and it is expected to double the aid in the phase from 2014-2022.

The meeting aims to review the ASEAN-EU cooperation, including the implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement the Nuremberg Declaration on an enhanced EU-ASEAN partnership and outline some strategic orientations to enhance cooperation in the future.