Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to pay official visit to Vietnam
WVR - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will pay an official visit to Vietnam from April 8-10, 2025.
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| Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. (Photo: MOFA) |
At the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will pay an official visit to Vietnam from April 8-10, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 5, 2025.
Vietnam and Spain established diplomatic relations on May 23, 1977. In December 2009, the two countries elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership for the future, making Spain Vietnam's first strategic partner in the EU.
Recently, the Vietnam-Spain relationship has continued to develop positively, with various delegation exchanges and high-level engagements. The two countries actively cooperate and support each other in multilateral mechanisms, particularly within the frameworks of the United Nations and ASEAN-EU.
Spain is Vietnam's fifth-largest trading partner in the EU, and Vietnam is Spain's largest trading partner in ASEAN. Between 2019 and 2024, bilateral trade maintained a good growth rate, averaging 8.7% per year.
In 2024, bilateral trade reached 4.72 billion USD (the highest level ever), increasing by 20% compared to 2023. The export and import structure between Vietnam and Spain is complementary, with no direct competition.
Spain ratified the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) in January 2022.
Spain has committed to providing Vietnam with over 1 billion USD in ODA loans and non-refundable aid through primarily five financial cooperation programs in areas such as infrastructure, sustainable development, gender equality, healthcare, and science and technology. Both sides are finalizing procedures to sign the Framework Protocol on Financial Cooperation 6, which includes a concessional loan of 305 million euros.
Vietnam currently grants unilateral visa exemptions to Spanish citizens for stays of up to 45 days. In 2024, Vietnam welcomed 91,400 Spanish tourists.
The Vietnamese community in Spain currently numbers around 5,000 people, primarily made up of small traders who have integrated well into local society.
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