Politburo Member, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung holds bilateral meetings at the 25th ASEAN–EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting
WVR - On April 28, on the occasion of attending the 25th ASEAN-EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AEMM) in Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei Darussalam), Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung engaged in bilateral meetings with partners from ASEAN and the European Union (EU).
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| Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Thongsavan Phomvihane. (Source: VNA) |
During the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, the two Ministers expressed satisfaction with the substantive progress in bilateral relations over the past period. They agreed to closely coordinate and concretize the strategic linkage between Vietnam and Laos across various fields, considering it a guiding principle in bilateral relations in the coming time. They also agreed to make further efforts to effectively implement the Cooperation Agreement between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs for the 2026-2030 period, maintain, prepare, and organize annual cooperation mechanisms between the two Ministries, support each other in international forums, and meticulously prepare for the celebration of the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Year of Friendship and Solidarity from the beginning of 2027.
The two Foreign Ministers also agreed to continue close coordination with relevant countries in the cooperation mechanisms among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and to prepare for multilateral and sub-regional conferences hosted by Vietnam in 2026.
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| Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung meets with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Sihasak Phuangketkeow. (Source: VNA) |
In the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, both Foreign Ministers emphasized the top priority given to the comprehensive strategic partnership, discussing specific measures to prepare for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand in 2026, including upcoming high-level visits and exchanges. Both sides also agreed to soon finalize and approve the Action Program for the 2026-2030 period to implement the Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a substantive and effective manner.
On this occasion, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung also exchanged views with the Foreign Ministers of Laos and Thailand on regional and international issues of mutual concern, emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, and safety in the region, and highlighting the need to strengthen intra-bloc solidarity and unity, coordinate positions, and promote ASEAN's central role.
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| Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung meets with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of Slovenia Tanja Fajon. (Source: VNA) |
On the same day, Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung held bilateral meetings with Vice President of the European Commission, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas; Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of Slovenia Tanja Fajon; Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic Petr Macinka; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Constantinos Kombos; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Kestutis Budrys; State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria Josef Schellhorn; State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany Florian Hahn; and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski.
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| Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung meets with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic Petr Macinka. (Source: VNA) |
In meetings with European partners, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung shared information about the outcomes of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, as well as Vietnam's major development goals and orientations in the new era. The Foreign Minister emphasized that Vietnam is a reliable partner, ready to expand multifaceted cooperation with the EU. He urged partners to enhance delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level exchanges, to further consolidate political trust and lay a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation.
Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung urged partners to collaborate with Vietnam to create strong and substantive developments in economic, trade, and investment cooperation; to encourage the remaining six EU member states to soon complete the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA); and to recognize Vietnam's efforts to soon lift the IUU yellow card on Vietnamese seafood and remove Vietnam from the "List of Non-Cooperative Countries on Taxation".
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| Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Constantinos Kombos. (Source: VNA) |
In discussions with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung expressed a desire for both sides to continue promoting cooperation in high-quality human resource training through the ERASMUS and Horizon Europe mechanisms. He urged the Czech Republic to enhance tourism cooperation by simplifying visa procedures and supporting Vietnam in opening direct flights to Prague, as well as continuing to support the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic.
Regarding cooperation with Austria, the Foreign Minister proposed that both sides soon resume Intergovernmental Committee meetings and strengthen cultural and musical cooperation. With the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, the Minister suggested organizing political consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs soon, and promoting the signing of agreements on labour cooperation, education, and double taxation avoidance. The Foreign Minister proposed that Lithuania cooperate in investment, share experiences, and support high-tech human resource training in fields such as laser technology, biotechnology, fintech, cybersecurity management, and grid system construction and management. With the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany Florian Hahn, the Foreign Minister expressed a desire for Germany to maintain its position as Vietnam's leading trade and investment partner in Europe and to soon organize the German Business Forum in Asia-Pacific in Vietnam. With the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, the Minister suggested recognizing the Vietnamese community as an ethnic minority under local law, creating conditions for them to stabilize their lives and contribute more positively to Polish society.
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| Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Kestutis Budrys. (Source: VNA) |
EU partners highly appreciated Vietnam's dynamic development, affirming that Vietnam is considered one of the priority partners in Southeast Asia within the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy. Sharing Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung's assessments and proposals, EU partners expressed a desire to further enhance political and diplomatic relations, and to improve the effectiveness of economic, trade, and investment cooperation with Vietnam. They expressed interest in participating in Vietnam's infrastructure, renewable energy, green technology, and sustainable development projects, and in leveraging Vietnam's role as a bridge to further expand connections with ASEAN.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stated that EU countries are interested in deepening cooperation with Vietnam to match the newly established comprehensive strategic partnership framework, particularly in the field of Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).
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| Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria Josef Schellhorn. (Source: VNA) |
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic agreed that both sides should soon finalize the Action Program to implement the strategic partnership framework and promote cooperation in labour, trade, and defense. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of Slovenia expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation in logistics and port operations, and to expand cooperation in innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and space science.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania expressed interest in cooperating in liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), high technology, agricultural import-export, and tourism. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus emphasized the importance of and desire to increase investment in pharmaceuticals and maritime sectors in Vietnam, and to receive more Vietnamese workers, especially in the maritime field. The State Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Germany expressed satisfaction with the cooperation results between businesses from both countries in key projects such as the Hanoi-Ha Long high-speed railway, and a desire to further expand cooperation in similar projects in Vietnam.
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| Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany Florian Hahn. (Source: VNA) |
The State Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Austria agreed to coordinate well in organizing meaningful activities to commemorate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027, thanked Vietnam for its support for Austria's candidacies in international forums, and expressed a desire for both sides to closely coordinate in effectively implementing the Cybersecurity Cooperation Agreement signed in October 2025.
Discussing global and regional issues of mutual concern, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and EU partners agreed on the need to elevate ASEAN-EU cooperation relations, promote multilateralism, and uphold international law for peace, cooperation, and development in each region and worldwide.
