The Slovak government and parliamentleaders have viewed the Vietnamese State President’s visit to Slovakiaas an important milestone that helps boost bilateral ties in a morepractical and effective manner in the coming time.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Parliament Speaker Pavol Paskamet with visiting President Nguyen Minh Triet in Bratislava on December17.

For his part, President Triet said he hoped visits at all levels of thetwo countries will continue to be exchanged as part of efforts topromote bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding as well asestablish trustful relations.

The Vietnamese President again asked Slovak to support Vietnam ’s bidsto step up its ties with the European Union and make objectivejudgments regarding the European Commission’s imposition ofanti-dumping tariffs on Vietnam ’s leather-capped shoes.

The same day, President Triet met with former Prime Minister RudolfSchuster to whom he said the Vietnamese people have been grateful tothe Slovak people for offering wholehearted assistance to Vietnam ’snational liberation cause.

Receiving representatives from the Communist Party of Slovakia, theVietnamese head of state said the Communist Party of Vietnam has placedimportance to consolidating and developing its traditional relationshipwith the Communist Party of Slovakia.

Later on the day, President Nguyen Minh Triet and his Slovakcounterpart Ivan Gasparovic attended the Vietnam-Slovakia BusinessForum.

Addressing the event, President Triet described President Gasparovic’spresence as an indication of the Slovak leadership’s wish to bring thebilateral wide-ranging relationship to a new height./.