This affirmation was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to Croatia Bui Le Thai during the ceremony to present his Letter of Credence to Croatian President Zoran Milanović. At the event, Ambassador Bui Le Thai conveyed the greetings and best wishes of General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, and other senior Vietnamese leaders to President Milanović and the people of Croatia.
Expressing his honour at being appointed Ambassador to Croatia, a country rich in potential in Southeastern Europe, Ambassador Bui Le Thai pledged his utmost efforts to promote and develop multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. He also expressed his hope for continued support from the relevant Croatian authorities during his tenure.
Ambassador Bui Le Thai expressed gratitude to Croatia for its active support during the negotiations and signing of the EU–Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the ratification of the EU–Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). He called on Croatia to continue supporting efforts for the European Commission (EC) to soon lift the “yellow card” imposed on Viet Nam’s seafood exports, as well as to encourage other EU member states to swiftly ratify the EVIPA.
Additionally, the Ambassador proposed that the two sides consider negotiating and signing several important cooperation agreements, such as those on labour, education and training, and a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments. He also suggested the establishment of a Croatia–Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Group, fostering people-to-people exchanges, and closer coordination at multilateral forums, especially within the United Nations.
On this occasion, the Ambassador delivered an invitation from President Luong Cuong, inviting President Zoran Milanović to attend the signing ceremony of the UN Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes, scheduled to take place in Ha Noi on October 25–26.
Immediately after the credential presentation ceremony, Ambassador Bui Le Thai held meetings with Neven Pelicarić, Adviser to the President of Croatia for Foreign and European Policy; Frano Matušić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia; and Vedran Špehar, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.
During these meetings, the Croatian side congratulated Ambassador Bui Le Thai on his new appointment, and highly valued Viet Nam’s dynamic development achievements, as well as its growing role and prestige on both the regional and international arena. Croatia affirmed its desire to further enhance cooperation with Viet Nam, particularly in the areas of economy, trade, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
Notably, Croatia expressed its readiness to serve as a gateway for Vietnamese exports into the EU via its seaport system and confirmed its continued support for Viet Nam in matters within the EU, including advocacy for the European Commission to lift the “yellow card” imposed on Viet Nam’s seafood sector.
The Adviser to the President of Croatia for Foreign and European Policy; the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia; and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development also expressed confidence that Ambassador Bui Le Thai would fulfil his duties excellently, contributing to deepening Viet Nam–Croatia relations across all sectors.
