Deputy FM Le Thi Thu Hang highlights new heights in Vietnam-Europe cooperation in 2025
WVR - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has penned an article titled ‘Vietnam – Europe cooperation in 2025: Rising to a new height”, highlighting a surge in high-level diplomacy, with exchanges nearly doubling from the previous year across all Party, State, Government and National Assembly channels.The partnership between Vietnam and the European Union (EU) is entering a new, more dynamic, substantial, and profound phase, noted the Deputy Foreign Minister.
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In 2025, the European landscape continues to intertwine bright and dark shades, with an overall brighter outlook compared to 2024. The Russia-Ukraine conflict remains complex but shows potential for negotiation talks. The economy is recovering, albeit slowly, with the EU's growth rate at 1.4%; unemployment rates are stable, and energy prices and inflation are decreasing, though still high. The EU emphasizes self-reliance and resilience.
Many European countries recognize the need to innovate growth models, viewing science, technology, innovation, and green-digital transformation as key drivers for economic recovery and competitiveness amidst increasing global economic fragmentation.
Meanwhile, Vietnam in 2025, despite facing numerous challenges from external negative impacts and severe natural disasters, continues to achieve significant milestones, maintaining high growth momentum, setting new export records, and sustaining a stable, reliable, attractive, and safe environment for international partners, including Europe. The cooperation between the two sides is entering a new, more dynamic, substantial, and profound phase.
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| General Secretary To Lam meets with French President Emmanuel Macron during his state visit to Vietnam, May 26, 2025. (Source: Pool) |
Vibrant across all channels
A highlight of 2025 is the strong increase in high-level diplomacy across all Party, State, Government, and National Assembly channels, with vibrant delegation exchanges nearly doubling compared to 2024. Notably, 12 high-level European delegations visited Vietnam, including the King of Belgium, Presidents of France, Hungary, Lithuania, Prime Ministers of Russia, Spain, Kyrgyzstan, and five legislative leaders from partner countries.
Vietnamese high-level leaders also made seven visits to Europe, including historic visits: the first official visit by a Vietnamese leader to Estonia since diplomatic relations were established; the official visit of General Secretary Tô Lâm to Russia to attend the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism, visits to traditional friends like Belarus, Bulgaria, and then to Northwestern Europe such as the UK, Finland, spreading the message of Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community.
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| President Luong Cuong and King Philippe of Belgium, April 1, 2025. (Source: VGP) |
The year 2025 also marks substantial developments in Vietnam's relations with major political parties and influential political forces in Europe. This includes the participation of five European political parties in Vietnam's major celebrations and especially high-level theoretical dialogues with Germany's Left Party and Social Democratic Party, enhancing political depth and strategic trust between Vietnam and these countries.
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| Scene of the 10th Theoretical Dialogue between the Communist Party of Vietnam and Germany's Social Democratic Party, October 29, 2025. (Source: Nhan Dan Newspaper) |
The success of foreign activities with Europe in 2025 has elevated Vietnam-Europe relations and expanded strategic cooperation space for Vietnam across all fields, including politics, economy, trade-investment, science-technology, providing important resources for the country's new development era.
Trade-investment continues to assert its pillar role
After five years of implementation, the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) continues to show clear effectiveness, making Vietnam the EU's largest goods trading partner in ASEAN, and the EU Vietnam's fourth-largest trading partner.
In the first 10 months of 2025, bilateral trade reached nearly $61 billion, an 8.4% increase over the same period last year. Meanwhile, the path to the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) has been shortened with Cyprus, Poland, and Germany ratifying it this year.
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| EU enterprises maintain their role as one of the high-quality foreign investment sources in Vietnam. (Source: VnEconomy) |
Investment cooperation remains a highlight in Vietnam-Europe economic relations. EU enterprises maintain their role as one of the high-quality foreign investment sources in Vietnam, focusing on processing-manufacturing industries, infrastructure, logistics, finance-banking, high technology, and sustainable agriculture.
The European business community continues to highly appreciate Vietnam's investment-business environment, especially institutional reforms, administrative procedures, digital transformation, infrastructure development, and human resource quality improvement; they continue to expand investment in Vietnam, notably LEGO Group (Denmark).
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| LEGO Group's factory in Binh Duong. (Source: CafeBiz) |
Many cooperation projects between European enterprises and Vietnamese localities in energy transition, green finance, green infrastructure, and climate change adaptation have been and are being implemented, thereby supporting Vietnam in fulfilling its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.
European investments are expected not only to bring capital but also to provide access to technology and sustainable development models, positively contributing to improving growth quality and transforming Vietnam's development model.
Science-technology and innovation: A new direction
Science-technology and innovation have truly become a new pillar in Vietnam-Europe cooperation.
Cooperation agreements with Russia, France, Sweden, Estonia, and Central Asian countries signed in 2025 demonstrate the timely response and commitment of European partners to accompany Vietnam's strong development mindset innovations in the new era, taking science, technology, and innovation as growth drivers.
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| Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson witness the signing of the Strategic Sector Partnership Agreement on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation cooperation between Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology and Sweden's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, June 13, 2025. (Source: VGP) |
Cooperation in this field is being actively and substantively implemented with the direct participation of localities, businesses, experts, and research institutes, and universities from both sides. Many areas of cooperation are being prioritized, including digital transformation, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, quantum technology..., fields where Europe has strengths and Vietnam has needs in modernizing the economy, enhancing national competitiveness, and sustainable development.
Cultural exchange, tourism, and people-to-people diplomacy: Nurturing strong friendship
The year 2025 stands out with numerous important cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy events, such as the 75th anniversary of Vietnam-Russia diplomatic relations and Vietnam-Central and Eastern European countries, the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Germany relations, and the 35th anniversary of Vietnam-EU relations.
On these occasions, a variety of rich and diverse commemorative activities were organized throughout the year, showcasing the depth and vitality of the friendship between Vietnam and the region. Notable events include the seminar "75 Years of Vietnam-Central and Eastern Europe Relations: Preserving Friendship, Expanding Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation" (June 2025), the Cultural-Art Festival in Russia (July 2025), the event "Vietnam-EU Day: A Cultural Bridge for a Sustainable Future" (November 2025), and the discussion "50 Years of Vietnam-Germany Relations: Impressions and Prospects" (December 2025).
Notably, for the first time, Vietnam Day was held right at Red Square with a record number of visitors – reaching millions. The vibrant cultural exchange activities over the past year between Vietnam and Europe continue to affirm their role as a bridge of trust, contributing to enhancing mutual trust and understanding, and connecting Vietnam with Europe more closely and deeply.
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| Madame Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary To Lam, along with First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Andrey Yatskin and representatives of Moscow city authorities, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi cut the ribbon to open the Vietnam Cultural Festival, July 25, 2025. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Over the past year, Vietnamese people also experienced very special cultural and artistic activities organized by European countries. These include the special concert by the Hessen State Chamber Orchestra of Germany (October 2025), the Vienna concert series from Austria (November 2025), the ballet Swan Lake from Russia (November 2025), the Art Exhibition and Gala Concert by the OSP Nadarzyn Orchestra from Poland (November 2025), and the Bulgarian Music Night (December 2025)....
Especially with the continuous opening of new flight routes to Europe such as Milan – Italy (July 2025), Munich – Germany (October 2025), Copenhagen – Denmark (December 2025), Vietnam's destination in Europe has exploded, contributing to a new record for Vietnam tourism with over 20 million visitors this year.
2026 outlook: Elevating Vietnam – Europe partnership towards a new dimension
The world enters 2026 with unpredictable changes. Europe also faces many challenges. However, Europe remains an important geopolitical and economic center. As an important partner in its foreign policy, Vietnam wishes to enhance the effectiveness of traditional cooperation areas with Europe, expand cooperation in new fields such as green transition, digital transformation, renewable energy, green finance, high-quality human resource training, and aerospace.
Based on leveraging the combined strength of foreign policy pillars to effectively harness international resources and expand development space for Vietnam-Europe relations to "reach new heights", both sides need determination and close coordination bilaterally and multilaterally.
Firstly, it is necessary to maintain delegation exchanges, contacts at all levels, and channels to effectively utilize existing cooperation frameworks with countries; strengthen the political foundation, creating momentum for cooperation in various fields.
Secondly, further enhance the effective implementation of free trade agreements signed with regional countries such as the EU (EVFTA), the UK (UKVFTA), and the Eurasian Economic Union, while actively engaging with remaining EU member states to soon complete EVIPA ratification; increase support for businesses to access the European market, especially for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products.
Thirdly, promote specific projects and tangible results in science-technology cooperation, innovation, education-training, contributing to effectively implementing Vietnam's strategic resolutions.
Fourthly, leverage the role of external information, cultural diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, linked with tourism and local cooperation; promote the connection of the Vietnamese community in Europe with the host country and homeland, contributing to enhancing Vietnam's image and creating a solid foundation for sustainable cooperation relations.
Fifthly, coordinate at multilateral forums to promote multilateralism, respect for international law, free trade, and freedom of navigation, for the common interests of peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and the world.
With the above orientations, Vietnam identifies European partners as companions in the new development era and strives with Europe to elevate the cooperative relationship between the two sides to a new dimension right in the first year of the 14th National Party Congress term, aiming towards the two centennial goals and successfully fulfilling the tasks of the Congress term.
