VietNamNet Bridge – Greek President Karolos Papoulias began his official visit to Vietnam on the weekend, arriving in Hanoi late on Saturday night accompanied by several deputy ministers, a senator and other senior officials.

Greek President Karolos Papoulias.

Papoulias is also scheduled to meet Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap today. He is expected to attend the Vietnam-Greece business forum in Hanoi tomorrow before flying to the central province of Thua Thien-Hue city.

This is the first visit to Vietnam by a Greek president since the establishment of diplomatic ties-between the two countries in 1975.

Relations between the two countries have developed considerably following a number of high-ranking visits, including the trip to Greece by President Nguyen Minh Triet in June this year and the visit to Vietnam by Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis in May 2007 as well as the opening of the Greek embassy in Hanoi in March 2007.

Two-way trade in the first eight months of this year reached US$90 million, which is equal to the value for the whole of last year.

(Source: Viet Nam News)