Vietnam and Greece have agreed to foster their friendly and all-round cooperative relations, especially those in trade and investment, prime ministers of the two countries stated here Sunday.

"We have agreed to seek all ways of strengthening our trade and investment ties, especially in tourism, shipbuilding and high technology," Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at a press briefing after holding talks with his visiting Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis and then witnessing the signing of a tourism cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Vietnam and Greece will soon negotiate on inking some bilateral agreements, including those on investment encouragement and protection, double tax avoidance, and scientific, technological, education and training cooperation, Dung said, adding that Greece will also soon recognize Vietnam's market economy status.

The two-way trade between the two countries is still modest, he said, noting that they are striving to increase it to 100 million U.S. dollars this year.

In response, the Greek prime minister said his country wants to boost import-export activities with Vietnam, and supports stronger ties between Vietnam and the European Union and the country's candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 term.

Greece and Vietnam will soon sign an agreement on double tax avoidance, he added.

Costas Karamanlis arrived in Vietnam on Saturday for a two-day official trip. He is the first Greek prime minister to visit the country since the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1975.

Source: Xinhua