Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc receives Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys in Hanoi
WVR - On the afternoon of July 28, at the Government Headquarters, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc received Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys on the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam.
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| Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys. (Source: VGP) |
Welcoming Minister Kestutis Budrys' visit and appreciating the results of his talks with Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc expressed confidence that the visit would further deepen the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Lithuania, and promote the increasingly substantive Vietnam - European Union (EU) Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Congratulating Lithuania on its socio-economic development achievements, European integration, and rising international stature, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc noted the potential and opportunities for further development in bilateral relations. He suggested expanding cooperation across all fields, focusing on enhancing political trust through delegation exchanges and high-level contacts; maximizing the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms and boosting economic, trade, and investment collaboration. He emphasized leveraging the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), strengthening business connections, and expanding cooperation in areas where Lithuania excels, such as digital economy, fintech, energy (LNG infrastructure, renewable energy, grid development and synchronization), seaports, maritime transport, logistics, and science and technology.
The Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam is ready to facilitate Lithuanian businesses in exploring the market and making long-term investments in Vietnam.
He urged Lithuania to continue advocating for the remaining EU member states to promptly ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support the European Commission in lifting the "yellow card" on Vietnam's seafood exports, especially during Lithuania's term as the rotating EU President in the first half of 2027. He also suggested that both sides quickly finalize the legal framework for cooperation, including agreements on avoiding double taxation, visa exemption for official passport holders, educational and labor cooperation agreements, and enhancing people-to-people exchanges. On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister requested Lithuania to create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Lithuania, fostering their role as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.
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| Scene of the meeting. (Source: VGP) |
Expressing gratitude to Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc for the meeting, Minister Kestutis Budrys conveyed President Gitanas Nauseda's invitation to General Secretary and President To Lam for an official visit to Lithuania. He also relayed the invitation and greetings from Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius to Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.
Minister Kestutis Budrys highly appreciated Vietnam's impressive development achievements and its growing role in ASEAN, as well as the progress in Vietnam-EU relations. He affirmed that Lithuania greatly values its relationship with Vietnam and is ready to act as a bridge to promote relations between Vietnam and the EU. He confirmed that during Lithuania's upcoming term as the rotating EU President, it will prioritize implementing EU cooperation projects with Vietnam, especially in energy and transport infrastructure through the Global Gateway mechanism.
Agreeing with the views of Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister affirmed that Lithuania wishes to expand cooperation with Vietnam in trade, investment, energy, cybersecurity, logistics, and agriculture. He announced plans to send a Lithuanian business delegation to Vietnam to explore cooperation and investment opportunities. He expressed a desire to enhance cooperation in labour, increase student exchanges, and cultural cooperation. He also confirmed Lithuania's support for the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and the early lifting of the "yellow card" IUU.
During the exchange, both sides emphasized their desire to strengthen coordination and mutual support at the United Nations and multilateral forums, promote ASEAN-EU relations, and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight, and resolving disputes peacefully based on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
