Vietnam and Poland enhance maritime transport cooperation

Addressing the event, Tran Ngoc Liem, director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ho Chi Minh City Branch, emphasised that with the current growing trade ties, many Vietnamese logistics enterprises have moved to establish international freight routes from Vietnam to Poland and vice versa.

However, the development remains far from the existing potential for cooperation between the two sides, he noted.

With a coastline of more than 3,260km long, Vietnam is among the top 10 countries with the highest index of coastline length compared to its territorial area. It has developed maritime transport infrastructure characterized by many modern ports such as Hai Phong port, Da Nang port, Cat Lai port, Cai Mep port, Phu Huu port, Tan Thuan port, and Ben Nghe port.

Meanwhile, Poland also boasts a rich port system, including Gdansk port, Gdynia port, Szczecin port. Of these, Gdansk port is one of the largest that receives handles nearly 17.8 million tonnes of cargo every year. It is a major international transport hub which plays an important role in the trans-European transport corridor connecting the Nordic countries with Eastern and Southern Europe.

Dorota Pyc, chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Gdansk Port Authority, stressed that with its strategic location, Gdansk Port can serve as an ideal entry point for Vietnamese goods to make inroads into the European market and a gateway for Polish and European products to the enter the Vietnamese market.

Cooperation between businesses of both countries will not only facilitate trade activities, but also improve logistics efficiency, reduce transit times, while also ensuring that firms remain competitive in a demanding global market, said the executive.

Statistics indicate that Polish exports to Vietnam increased by nearly 20% last year, while Vietnam was Poland's largest trading partner among EU member states.