VietnamPlus
On November 10 in Hanoi, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyễn Đức Hải met with Mr. Gabriel Petridis, Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Piraeus, Greece, and Chairman of Aries Energy Group.
Vice Chairman Hải expressed his desire for cooperation between Aries Energy Group and Vietnamese partners to be realized soon, emphasizing that maritime affairs are a field in which both countries have strengths and high development potential.
He praised Greece’s strong capabilities and global leadership in maritime transport and shipbuilding, noting that Greece is among the top countries in terms of shipping activity and revenue.
Welcoming Mr. Petridis’s interest in Vietnam’s shipbuilding and maritime transport industries, Vice Chairman Hải reiterated the importance of turning cooperative intentions into concrete actions. He highlighted Vietnam’s high logistics costs as a major challenge and affirmed the country’s readiness to support the development of its shipping fleet and shipbuilding industry, while expanding international partnerships.
He encouraged Mr. Petridis to explore investment opportunities in Hai Phong and other coastal provinces. Vietnam is currently planning and constructing large-scale, integrated port and logistics zones across the North, Central, and South regions.
In addition, Vietnam prioritizes tourism development, especially in coastal areas like Hai Phong and Quang Ninh, and is planning high-quality marina zones in Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, and southern provinces.
Regarding crew member cooperation, Vice Chairman Hải suggested that both sides could collaborate to utilize Vietnam’s abundant labor force in the maritime sector.
He acknowledged the fierce global competition in shipping and shipbuilding, but expressed confidence that with Mr. Petridis’s experience and the potential of Aries Energy’s partners, cooperation between Vietnam and Greece would be close and successful.
The National Assembly of Vietnam is committed to listening and facilitating the resolution of legal and regulatory obstacles to promote maritime economic cooperation.
Vice Chairman Hải also called on Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VMC), through its governing body, to propose necessary initiatives to foster bilateral maritime and economic collaboration, helping Vietnam attract capital, technology, markets, and customers in this vital sector.
Mr. Petridis expressed pride in the growing traditional friendship between Vietnam and Greece and praised Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, especially in maritime development, leveraging its long coastline.
He emphasized that bilateral relations have expanded across politics, economy, trade, healthcare, education, and culture. With its extensive coastline, Greece is eager and ready to cooperate and support Vietnam in developing its fleet, port systems, and shipbuilding industry.
