Greek Foreign Minister's visit to Vietnam: Advancing Vietnam-Greece relations
WVR - Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis will officially visit Vietnam from July 17-19. On this occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong gave an interview to the World & Vietnam Report about the significance of the visit and the potential for cooperation between the two countries in the coming period.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Greece) |
Ambassador, could you share the objectives, significance, and expectations of Minister George Gerapetritis's visit to Vietnam?
At the invitation of Politburo Member and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis will make an official visit to Vietnam from July 17-19. This is Minister George Gerapetritis's first visit to Vietnam in his capacity as Greek Foreign Minister.
The visit signifies the continuation and development of diplomatic relations between the two countries, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations (April 15, 1975 - April 15, 2025). Regular high-level exchanges and contacts demonstrate the vibrancy of the relationship, particularly in political diplomacy. In June 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met and discussed cooperation with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in France.
In October 2025, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai made an official visit to Greece, followed by a reciprocal visit to Vietnam by the First Vice President of the Greek Parliament Ioannis Plakiotakis in March 2026.
Minister George Gerapetritis's visit is expected to significantly enhance political trust and bring substantive cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest and strength. These include maritime cooperation, technology transfer in maritime infrastructure, energy, and human resource training; labor; agriculture and agricultural products; promoting trade and expanding cooperation projects; fostering cultural, sports, and tourism cooperation, sharing experiences in preserving and promoting heritage values; education, training...
Additionally, both sides will continue to promote cooperation and actively support each other in multilateral organizations and forums where both countries are members, including the United Nations, ASEAN-EU; the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and collaborate to ensure maritime security and safety, especially on critical sea routes...
Greece is one of the early countries to ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). Vietnam hopes Greece will continue to encourage other EU member states to ratify it, so the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) can soon take effect, and to lobby the European Commission (EC) to lift the "yellow card" on Vietnamese seafood, thereby facilitating Vietnam's seafood exports to the European market.
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| The Vietnamese Embassy in Greece organized a booth showcasing Vietnamese cuisine and dried agricultural products at the food festival organized by the city government of Piraeus, Greece, in September 2025. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Greece) |
Ambassador, over more than 50 years, the traditional friendship between the two countries has been increasingly strengthened and developed positively. Could you share the highlights of the bilateral relations in recent times and the largest areas for cooperation in the upcoming period?
The traditional friendship between Vietnam and Greece has been increasingly strengthened and developed positively over more than half a century, especially the warm sentiments that the people of both countries have for each other. Everywhere I go, I receive the good feelings that the Greek people have for Vietnam.
Similarities in the love for peace, pride in historical and cultural traditions, respect for and emphasis on the principles of the United Nations Charter, and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, form an important foundation for the connection and cooperation between the two countries.
Political trust is a crucial foundation for both countries to turn potentials into specific, substantive cooperation activities. One of these is cooperation in the maritime sector. Greece is a world leader in maritime transport, so Vietnam can collaborate with Greece in attracting investment, connecting trade, services, technology in maritime transport, developing maritime infrastructure, and human resources, establishing a high-quality crew training center in Vietnam. In 2025, the two sides established the VIMC ARIES joint venture in the maritime sector, between the Vietnam Maritime Corporation and the ARIES Transport and Energy Group of Greece.
Additionally, cooperation in the labor sector is in a favorable initial stage. With economic development needs, Greece currently requires more foreign labor, and Vietnamese workers are highly regarded for their diligence and intelligence. Through working contacts with the Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Greece has always expressed a desire to enhance labor cooperation with Vietnam, aiming to soon sign an agreement on cooperation to bring Vietnamese workers to work legally in Greece. According to preliminary Greek statistics, there are currently about 1,700 Vietnamese workers in Greece.
Cooperation in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values, exchanging experiences in digitization, storage, and developing digital heritage platforms is also a strength that both sides can exploit. Establishing a close, regular, and in-depth cooperation mechanism will allow us to learn from Greece's experience in promoting heritage values, creating new values from heritage, contributing to the development of the cultural industry.
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| The Vietnamese Embassy, along with ASEAN countries and the Greek charity organization "Friends of the Child," organized the 4th ASEAN Plus Friends Bazaar charity fair in Athens, affirming solidarity with Greece, May 2026. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Greece) |
What can the two countries in general and the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs in particular do to continue promoting delegation exchanges and more effectively coordinate at multilateral forums like the United Nations or within the ASEAN-EU framework?
Vietnam always values promoting traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Greece. In recent times, cooperation has been effectively promoted within bilateral frameworks as well as multilateral cooperation mechanisms, including organizations and forums of the United Nations or in ASEAN-EU cooperation.
As the main focal point in implementing foreign policies and managing external activities in each country, the relationship between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs is crucial in promoting all aspects of cooperation and delegation exchanges at all levels, including political diplomacy, economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, within both bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Greece has been proactively implementing various activities, closely coordinating with Greek partners, as well as domestic agencies, ministries, localities, and enterprises, exploring untapped cooperation potentials, promoting the signing and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements, and supporting each other at multilateral forums such as the United Nations.
Additionally, the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece actively participates in the ASEAN Committee in Athens (ACAT) mechanism, aiming to enhance the Greek people's understanding of ASEAN, and promote cooperation between ASEAN-Greece and ASEAN-EU.
Thank you very much, Ambassador!
