They were pleased to see that Vietnam – Spain relations are increasingly developing positively in all areas, especially in trade exchanges as evidenced by the strong presence of Spanish businesses and investors in Vietnam.

From 2019 to 2024, two-way trade grew at an average rate of nearly 9% per year. In 2024, the trade turnover reached US$4.72 billion, the highest level ever recorded.

Peoples of the two countries are becoming more understanding and connected through cultural, art, and tourism exchange programmes in each country. There are more and more Spanish tourists visiting Vietnam, and an increasing number of young Vietnamese are learning the Spanish language.

Vietnam always values and desires to strengthen multifaceted cooperation with Spain, said Chinh.

He highly appreciated the participation of leading Spanish businesses accompanying Sanchez on this visit and expressed confidence that these businesses would have opportunities to explore the market and engage with Vietnamese partners, leading to new cooperation prospects between the two countries.

Chinh welcomed Spain as one of the first countries to ratify the EU – Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and expressed hope that Spain would support the remaining EU countries in ratifying this agreement. He also expected that Spain would encourage the European Commission to soon remove the illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) ‘Yellow Card’ on Vietnamese seafood.

Sanchez for his part, noted that Vietnam is currently an important country in Asia and is increasingly playing a proactive leadership role on the international stage.

In the context of a rapidly evolving global situation, he said, the government of Spain supports the European Union’s policy towards Southeast Asia, and at the same time, it wants to strengthen relations with dynamic economies like Vietnam.

The two sides strongly agreed on directions to promote relations in the coming period, by strengthening political trust and enhancing the effectiveness of economic cooperation in areas with high potential such as science and technology, security and defence, and others.

They vowed to continue to effectively implement the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to create breakthroughs in trade relations. They consented to hold the first session of the Joint Committee on Economic, Trade, and Investment Cooperation in 2025.

Meanwhile, Sanchez stated that Spanish businesses are highly interested in expanding operations in Vietnam, particularly in key sectors such as railway infrastructure. He pointed to the fact that Spain currently has the second-largest high-speed rail system in the world.

Sanchez also announced that Spain would provide approximately EUR300 million to help Spanish businesses increase their presence in Vietnam.

Both sides agreed to continue to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Spain and the Spanish community in Vietnam to live and work stably in their territories, saying their contributions are vital to socio-economic development of their host countries and the strengthening of bilateral friendship.

The two sides pledged to continue their close coordination and mutual support in multilateral forums and international organisations, particularly at the United Nations and within the framework of ASEAN-EU cooperation. They also vowed to jointly implement initiatives promoting multilateralism, free trade, and climate change action, contributing positively to peace, stability, and development in each region and globally.

The Vietnamese side proposed that Spain serve as a bridge to enhance relations between Vietnam and the EU, as well as between Vietnam and Latin American countries. In turn, Vietnam agreed to act as a bridge to strengthen Spain-ASEAN relations.

With regard to the East Sea issue, both sides reaffirmed the importance of ensuring security, safety, freedom of navigation, and overflight in the sea. They emphasised the need to resolve disputes peacefully based on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

After the talks, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the signing ceremony of several cooperation agreements between the two countries in the fields of finance, diplomacy, culture, sports, agriculture, and education.

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez warmly welcomed in Hanoi on Vietnam visit

VOV.VN - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on April 9 morning for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who arrived there hours earlier for an official visit to Vietnam.