Vietnam values EU as priority partner, seeks deeper strategic ties

This requires translating the upgraded framework into practical cooperation that supports Vietnam’s development goals while delivering tangible benefits for both sides.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President To Lam made the remarks during his meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on October 22, as part of his official visit to the EU.

For Vietnam, he stressed, the priority is to build on the new partnership framework through deeper, more effective cooperation that strengthens development capacity and brings practical benefits to both sides.

Turning strategic ties into practical development gains

During the meeting, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasised the importance of combining Vietnam’s domestic capabilities with international knowledge, technology and experience to advance the country’s development goals for 2030 and 2045. In this process, cooperation with the EU can contribute to stronger technological capacity, energy security and sustainable growth.

He highlighted science and technology, innovation and energy transition as strategic areas, while encouraging closer collaboration through initiatives such as the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the Just Energy Transition Partnership and Horizon Europe. Cooperation in critical raw materials, sustainable processing and supply-chain diversification could also help both sides strengthen economic resilience.

Infrastructure offers another avenue for more substantive engagement, including transport connectivity, renewable energy and projects that support Vietnam’s ambition to become a regional transport and transit hub. The focus, the Vietnamese leader indicated, should be on turning shared priorities into concrete projects and lasting development outcomes.

EU sees scope for deeper cooperation with Vietnam

For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the development of the Vietnam–EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and affirmed the EU’s readiness to work with Vietnam to advance the relationship.

She highly valued Vietnam’s development potential and its increasingly important role in regional and global supply chains. She expressed the EU’s interest in advancing cooperation on critical raw materials, particularly sustainable extraction and processing, technology development and supply-chain diversification, in support of the green and digital transitions and stronger competitiveness on both sides.

The EC leader also pointed to considerable scope for cooperation in areas that match the EU’s strengths and Vietnam’s priorities, including nuclear and renewable energy.

The EU stands ready to support Vietnam’s ambition to become a regional transport and transit hub, while building on newly signed cooperation initiatives involving the Bac Ai hydropower project, Lien Chieu Port in Da Nang, and the renovation and preservation of Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi, she said.

To advance this cooperation, the Vietnamese leader thanked his host for inviting him to attend and address the third Global Gateway Forum in June 2027, describing it as an important opportunity to expand collaboration in investment, strategic infrastructure and energy transition.

Both sides agreed to make better use of the special task force on implementing the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to further expand economic and trade exchanges, alongside promoting the early lifting of the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

They also committed to strengthening cooperation in education and training, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, plus defence and security, crisis management, United Nations peacekeeping, maritime security and responses to non-traditional security challenges.

On regional and international issues, the two leaders affirmed their readiness to coordinate closely at multilateral forums, uphold multilateralism and international law, and promote free and unimpeded trade. They also stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development in the region and beyond.

On this occasion, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to pay an official visit to Vietnam at an early date.

European and Belgian businesses urged to become Vietnam’s long-term development partners

VOV.VN - Vietnam wants to move beyond expanding trade and investment towards long-term partnerships with European and Belgian businesses, built on joint investment, technology transfer, workforce development and stronger positions for Vietnamese companies in global value chains.