Phoc had a meeting Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) who praised Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and its proactive role in multilateral frameworks.

The Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed Vietnam’s appreciation for the UN and ESCAP’s role and called for support in accessing concessional finance to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and address climate change.

Phoc also met with Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste. Congratulating Timor-Leste on its upcoming accession as the 11th member of ASEAN, the Deputy Prime Minister proposed enhancing practical and effective bilateral cooperation, particularly in telecommunications, agriculture, and education.

Freitas expressed gratitude for Vietnam’s support in Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership bid and affirmed his country’s desire to expand multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam.

In his meeting with Ville Tavio, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Deputy Prime Minister Phoc emphasised Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening its traditional friendship and multi-sectoral cooperation with Finland, an important partner within the European Union.

He called on Finland to support early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to advocate for the removal of the EU’s “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood exports.

Tavio highly appreciated Vietnam’s current socio-economic achievements, and affirmed that Vietnam is a key partner for Finland in the Southeast Asian region.

He agreed that there remains significant untapped potential in economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries. He proposed that both sides enhance collaboration in areas where Finland holds strengths and Vietnam has demand, such as clean water management, communications, and shipbuilding.

Tavio also expressed Finland’s desire to further strengthen cooperation in the energy sector and stands ready to support Vietnam in participating in EU projects and concessional credit programmes to facilitate the country’s energy transition.

The two sides agreed to boost cooperation in key areas such as water management, digital communications, shipbuilding, and renewable energy. They also pledged to continue coordinating at multilateral and regional forums.

That evening, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He congratulated Spain on hosting FfD4, expressing confidence that the conference would generate important momentum in shaping financial cooperation frameworks and accelerating SDG implementation.

Sanchez reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Vietnam, one of Spain’s priority partners in Southeast Asia, and noted that there remains substantial potential for economic cooperation.

The two leaders agreed to direct their respective ministries and agencies to promptly implement agreements reached at the high level.

Phoc on this occasion reiterated the invitation from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Prime Minister Sanchez and senior Spanish leaders to attend the signing ceremony of the UN Convention on Cybercrime in Hanoi in October 2025.

Vietnam attends 2025 International Conference on Financing for Development

VOV.VN - Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc attended the opening ceremony of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) which is getting underway in Seville, Spain, from June 30 to July 3.