Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse, along with the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation, have just successfully concluded their official visits to Poland and the Czech Republic, and attendance at the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, and bilateral activities in Switzerland.

 With a busy schedule of exciting and effective activities, the working trip of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse, along with the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation, contributed to deepening cooperation between Vietnam and the European countries of Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, continuing to write bright new chapters in the history of developing relations between Vietnam and these European countries.

 Not only is it an active step in implementing the foreign policy of the 13th Party Congress on independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, but the trip also fully conveys the message of a peaceful, friendly Vietnam, a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community, always ready to closely coordinate with countries to promote multilateral cooperation and global solidarity. Through the trip’s activities, the image of a Vietnam full of courage and steadfastness, entering a new era of national rise has been widely spread to international friends.

OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE VIETNAM-POLANDRELATIONS

Coming to Poland - a European country that, despite its geographical distance, has given Vietnam valuable and sincere support and assistance throughout the fight for national independence and reunification, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had many effective and exciting activities, such as meeting with the President of Poland,holding talks with the Prime Minister of Poland, meeting with the Marshal of the Polish Senate and the Marshal of the Polish Sejm (lower house), attending the Poland-Vietnam Business Forum, and joining the Vietnamese community in Poland in the “Homeland Spring 2025” celebration.

 At the meetings with Polish leaders, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his joy at visiting the beautiful country of Poland, the country of great musicians and scientists. He congratulated Poland on its impressive achievements in socio-economic development and European integration, contributing to enhancing Poland’s role and position in the region.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holds talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Photo: VNA

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holds talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Photo: VNA

The two countries' leaders expressed their delight at the positive developments in Vietnam-Poland relations in many fields, making the bilateral relationship deeper, more comprehensive and inclusive today. The two countries have maintained delegation exchanges at all levels, through all channels of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly and people-to-people diplomacy. Economy and trade have become an important highlight in bilateral cooperation, with two-way trade from 2020 to present reaching over 2.5 billion USD, and in 2024 alone reaching over 3 billion USD, making Poland Vietnam’s largest trade partner in the Central Eastern European region. In particular, Vietnam’s decision to waive visa requirements for Polish citizens in 2025 is believed to create momentum to promote tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

An important highlight of the visit to Poland was the two countries’ leaders issuing a Vietnam-Poland Joint Statement on upgrading bilateral relations. The Joint Statement stated: The traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Poland have developed rapidly and effectively in many fields. Building on the achievements and recognising the great potential for further strengthening cooperation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasised the need for the two sides to promote political, economic, industrial, local cooperation and people-to-people exchanges more extensively and effectively, aiming to upgrade the Vietnam-Poland relationship to a strategic level in the near future.

By leveraging shared values of historical similarity, appreciation for independence, self-determination, freedom and peace after centuries of struggle for national independence, values of compassion and human love, the spirit of national solidarity, reconciliation and humanism, Vietnam and Poland will continue to jointly promote multilateral cooperation and international solidarity, uphold international law, and make responsible contributions to regional and global concerns, including peace-security and climate change response, in a spirit of goodwill, equality and mutual respect.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh

At the Vietnam-Poland Business Forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh encouraged enterprises from both countries to strengthen connectivity, share experiences, identify priority areas where they can complement each other, and contribute to connecting the two economies. He stated that the government would create, guide, establish policy mechanisms, and build trust for business cooperation and development.

Working with Poland’s National Research Institute on Cybersecurity, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasised that global digital transformation, cybersecurity and information security in the digital space have become key factors determining nations’ successful and sustainable development, requiring cooperation and collective efforts from the international community. He clarified that Vietnam highly values and wishes to learn from countries with significant achievements in this field, such as Poland, while also seeking to enhance cooperation to develop joint solutions for global challenges.

During his official visit to Poland, the Vietnamese Prime Minister also visited the University of Warsaw and delivered a policy speech highlighting the goal of elevating Vietnam-Poland relations to a strategic level for peace and development in both Southeast Asian and Central Eastern European regions.

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Vietnam-Poland Business Forum. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Vietnam-Poland Business Forum. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivers a speech on Vietnam’s policy at the University of Warsaw. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivers a speech on Vietnam’s policy at the University of Warsaw. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife join the Homeland Spring programme with the Vietnamese community in Poland. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife join the Homeland Spring programme with the Vietnamese community in Poland. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents the third-class Labour Order to the Vietnamese Association in Poland. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents the third-class Labour Order to the Vietnamese Association in Poland. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to Poland carries significant meaning, contributing to increased political trust, advancing and bringing traditional cooperation areas like economics, trade, labour, culture, education and human resource training into a new phase that meets each country’s development requirements. It also promotes cooperation in potential and strengths-based fields such as science and technology, information and communications, pharmaceuticals and innovation. The visit contributed to both countries moving towards upgrading their diplomatic relations.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Poland, Ha Hoang Hai

CONTINUING THE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM-CZECH REPUBLIC RELATIONS

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the Czech Republic marked an important milestone in bilateral relations. Based on outstanding achievements across all fields over the past 75 years with broad cooperation potential and strong confidence in the promising future of bilateral relations, both leaders issued a joint declaration to upgrade to a strategic partnership.

The visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh marks a new historical milestone in bilateral relations with the elevation of the relationship to a Strategic Partnership, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950–2025). This opens a new chapter in the traditionally strong Vietnam-Czech relationship, making Vietnam the first Southeast Asian country to become a Strategic Partner of the Czech Republic. This step aims to deepen, substantiate, and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation between the two countries.
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1950, Vietnam and the Czech Republic have built and developed a strong traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation based on trust, equality, and mutual respect for the benefit of both nations. The new partnership will elevate bilateral relations to a new height, both bilaterally and multilaterally. It will also strengthen and enhance the efficiency of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms while fostering the formation of new frameworks. Within the Strategic Partnership, Vietnam and the Czech Republic will deepen collaboration in various fields, ensuring practical benefits for the people of both countries and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and prosperity in both regions and worldwide.

Vietnam values and aspires to strengthen its relationship with the Czech Republic, a traditional friend and a top-priority partner of Vietnam in Central and Eastern Europe. Vietnam will work hard to realise the Strategic Partnership framework with the Czech Republic for the benefit of the two nations and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and globally.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh

During his visit, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Czech leaders. He discussed with Czech President Petr Pavel the orientations and measures to deepen and enhance the effectiveness of bilateral relations. Both leaders agreed to strengthen contacts and exchanges at all levels, especially at the high level, to bolster political trust and mutual understanding, aligning with the Strategic Partnership. 

In terms of economic and trade cooperation, both sides agreed to continue fully and effectively implementing the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). They aim to increase bilateral trade turnover to 5 billion USD in the near future and facilitate each other’s goods to have greater access to their respective markets. The Czech Republic also encouraged its enterprises to enhance investment in Vietnam in areas where the Czech Republic has strengths, such as digital transformation, pharmaceuticals, the food industry, manufacturing, and mining.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets Czech President Petr Pavel. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets Czech President Petr Pavel. (Photo: VNA)

During a meeting with Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his hope that the Czech Senate would support cooperation agreements between the two countries as well as economic cooperation frameworks, encouraging investments in sectors where both sides have strengths. Emphasising the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation in the broader bilateral relationship, the Prime Minister and Senate President Miloš Vystrčil agreed to enhance delegation exchanges between the two legislatures to share experiences in policymaking and lawmaking.

The elevation of the relationship to a Strategic Partnership will open up many new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, particularly in areas such as security and defence, education and training, science and technology, and scientific research.
Senate President Miloš Vystrčil

While receiving the Chairwoman of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) Katerina Konecna, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his gratitude to the Czech government, people, and political parties, particularly the KSCM, for their steadfast support for Vietnam throughout its past struggle for national independence and its ongoing process of national construction and development. He said that the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) wants to foster its traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with the ruling parties of other countries. He called for increased information and delegation exchanges between the CPV and the KSCM to enhance mutual understanding and political trust, and share experiences in Party building and development. The Vietnamese Government leader also sought the continued support of the KSCM in Vietnam's process of socialist fatherland construction and protection, and in fortifying the traditional friendship between the two nations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chairwoman of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) Katerina Konecna at their meeting in Prague on January 18. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chairwoman of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) Katerina Konecna at their meeting in Prague on January 18. (Photo: VNA)

For her part, Konecna pledged to promote stronger friendship and cooperation between the two Parties, helping to deepen and develop the Czech Republic - Vietnam relationship across all fields for the sake of the Vietnamese and Czech people, and peace, cooperation, and development in the regions and the world.

At meetings with leading Czech and European corporations operating and wanting to expand their investment in Vietnam, such as Skoda Auto, Seven Global Investments and PPF Group, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Government is committed to creating a favourable, lawful environment for their effective and sustainable business activities in the country.

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives leading corporations of the Czech Republic and Europe (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives leading corporations of the Czech Republic and Europe (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends and delivers a speech at the Vietnam-Czech Republic Business Forum.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends and delivers a speech at the Vietnam-Czech Republic Business Forum.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse visit a Vietnamese language class for children at the Sapa Trade Centre in Prague. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse visit a Vietnamese language class for children at the Sapa Trade Centre in Prague. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse join representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic at the Homeland Spring 2025 program. (Photo: VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse join representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic at the Homeland Spring 2025 program. (Photo: VNA)

Czech media published many articles on the outcomes of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to the Czech Republic. The Czech News Agency CTK published an article quoting Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala highlighting the prospects for Czech companies in the petrochemical industry, nuclear energy, medicine, and biotechnology in Vietnam.

Referring to the fact that up to 130 businesses participated in the Vietnam-Czech Republic Business Forum held in Prague, Prime Minister Fiala emphasised the potential for cooperation between the two countries and anticipated the launch of a direct flight route between Hanoi and Prague.

In addition, the agreement on education between the two governments is expected to facilitate the exchange of students and academic researchers, while the agreement on cooperation in pilot training is considered a typical example of substantive cooperation between the two countries. The article affirms that Vietnam is the Czech Republic's most important trade partner in Southeast Asia.

MESSAGE ON VIETNAM'S ASPIRATION TO RISE