Donald Tusk welcomes Vietnamese PM in Warsaw on official visit

Tusk personally greeted Chinh at his vehicle and escorted him to the place of honor. Military music bands played the national anthems of Vietnam and Poland, followed by a review of the guard of honour by both leaders.

After the welcoming ceremony, the two Prime Ministers held a private meeting before leading their respective delegations in official talks.

This is the first official visit by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Poland in 15 years. It takes place at a time when the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Poland are flourishing, and the two countries are celebrating 75 years of their diplomacy.

Over the past 75 years, the Vietnam-Poland relationship has grown across various fields, including politics, economics, culture, science, and education. Leaders of both countries frequently exchange visits at all levels to strengthen bilateral ties. The two countries also cooperate closely at multilateral forums.

Vietnam is currently Poland’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, while Poland is one of Vietnam’s top partners in Central and Eastern Europe. Two-way trade between the two countries reached US$3.435 billion in 2024. Poland has ratified the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and, as of November 2024, it had 33 investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of US$473.82 million.

Poland was among the first EU member states to support Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bilateral cooperation also extends to defense, security, education, training, agriculture, culture, and labour.

From the 1960s to the early 1990s, Poland trained over 4,000 Vietnamese students and scientific personnel, as well as more than 3,500 skilled workers, primarily in the coal and shipbuilding industries. Currently, the Polish government annually allocates 20 scholarships to Vietnamese students and plans to increase the number in the near future.

The Vietnamese community in Poland, numbering around 25,000, has maintained strong ties to their homeland and made significant contributions to local society and bilateral relations, earning high regard from Polish authorities.

With this strong foundation, PM Chinh’s official visit holds great significance. It aims to enhance political trust and promote traditional areas of cooperation such as economics, trade, labour, culture, education, and human resource training to a new phase that meets the development needs of both countries.

In addition, it seeks to advance cooperation in potential and strength-driven sectors, including science and technology, information and communication, pharmaceuticals, and innovation. It also contributes to progressing towards the upgrade of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The visit carries even greater significance as, from January 1, 2025, Poland assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). Meanwhile, Vietnam and the EU are commemorating 35 years of diplomatic relations and working towards elevating their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Chinh’s visit is expected to leverage Poland’s role within the EU to strengthen cooperation between Vietnam and Poland, as well as between Vietnam and the EU.