"A new stage of development for relations between Vietnam and traditional friends"

The official visits of General Secretary To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly, along with the high-level Vietnamese delegation, to Finland (October 20-22, 2025) and Bulgaria (October 22-24, 2025) were a great success.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung gave an interview to the press about the results of the visit. The Vietnam News Agency is pleased to present the content of the interview:

- Minister, could you please tell us about the outstanding achievements made during General Secretary To Lam's official visit to Finland and Bulgaria?

Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung: The visit of General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with the high-level Vietnamese delegation, is not only the first historic visit of the General Secretary to Finland since the two countries established diplomatic relations (in 1973) and Bulgaria since 1990, but also the first visit of the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the Nordic and Balkan regions, affirming Vietnam's interest in promoting cooperation with traditional friendly countries and with this region.

For Bulgaria in particular, the visit comes at a time of special significance as the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The visit was a great success with many important activities, including talks and meetings with presidents, prime ministers, and parliamentary leaders of various countries, as well as meetings and contacts with political parties, representatives of mass organizations, friendship organizations, businesses, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Northern Europe and the Balkans, and with many important documents being signed.

Leaders of ministries and departments have also held highly effective working sessions with their Finnish and Bulgarian counterparts on various areas of cooperation.

Over the past few days, senior leaders and people of Finland and Bulgaria have given General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with the high-level delegation, a warm and cordial welcome, with many special privileges.

We relive the atmosphere and sentiments of the people of the Eastern European and Nordic socialist countries who enthusiastically supported the Vietnamese people.

During the meetings, senior leaders of various countries expressed their admiration for Vietnam's tremendous achievements in all areas and highly valued Vietnam's position and role in the Asia-Pacific region. It can be affirmed that the visit achieved the following extremely important results:

Firstly, based on political trust and an increasingly substantive foundation of cooperation, Vietnam and other countries have agreed to establish the Vietnam-Finland Strategic Partnership and the Vietnam-Bulgaria Strategic Partnership.

General Secretary To Lam and President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb held talks. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

These new cooperation frameworks have made Finland and Bulgaria Vietnam's first Strategic Partners in the Nordic and Balkan region, affirming Vietnam's special regard for the region and its traditional friends, further promoting the good traditional relationship, opening a new phase of development for relations between Vietnam and the two countries, and fostering deep, substantive, and effective cooperation in all fields.

Secondly, during the visit, General Secretary To Lam and the leaders of Finland and Bulgaria prioritized spending significant time discussing strategic measures, identifying pillars of cooperation commensurate with the new level of bilateral relations across all three pillars of Vietnam's diplomacy: Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, along with economic and trade cooperation, defense and security, science and technology, cultural and educational exchanges, and people-to-people exchanges. They also emphasized areas of cooperation aligned with current trends such as the circular economy, digital transformation, cybersecurity, satellite technology, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, thereby creating new momentum to strongly promote bilateral cooperation, meeting the new requirements of Vietnam's and the two countries' development phase, as well as the rapidly evolving and complex international situation.

Throughout important diplomatic activities with high-ranking leaders of Finland and Bulgaria, General Secretary To Lam requested that these countries use their voices to encourage the remaining seven countries in the European Union (EU) to ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) as soon as possible, and to actively acknowledge and support the process of improving law enforcement and transparency in Vietnam's fisheries, thereby urging the European Commission (EC) to lift the "yellow card" regarding illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities on Vietnamese seafood exports.

Thirdly, General Secretary To Lam held extensive discussions with senior leaders of Finland and Bulgaria on regional and international issues of mutual concern, affirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world; supporting the peaceful resolution of disputes based on respect for international law; calling for restraint and the cessation of conflict; and agreeing to coordinate efforts to contribute to consolidating peace, stability, and security in the regions and the world.

General Secretary To Lam meets with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

General Secretary To Lam and the leaders of the two countries also agreed that both sides need to act as a bridge in the relationship between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the EU.

Regarding the South China Sea issue, the parties support ASEAN's common stance on freedom of navigation and overflight, resolving disagreements peacefully on the basis of international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), thereby making a positive contribution to peace and stability in the region and the world.

Fourth, the visit contributed to fostering closer ties between the Vietnamese people and the people of traditional friendly countries, as well as the spirit of solidarity and attachment of Vietnamese people not only in Finland and Bulgaria, but also in other countries in the region, to their homeland.

The Vietnamese communities in Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Bulgaria, and several Balkan countries are delighted and proud to welcome the highest-ranking leaders of Vietnam on their visits, demonstrating the concern and encouragement of the Party and State of Vietnam for the Vietnamese community abroad.

This also motivates Vietnamese expatriates to actively contribute to their homeland and integrate deeply into the local society, becoming a bridge of friendship between the people of the two countries.

Overall, the visit continued to actively implement Vietnam's multilateral and diversified foreign policy, promoting harmonious relations with partners in other regions, demonstrating Vietnam's consistent foreign policy and diplomatic identity.

The visit also strengthened the favorable foreign policy situation; mobilized resources for development, especially in new areas, and enhanced the position of the Party and the country.

- Minister, could you please outline the major directions for implementing the results achieved during your recent trip to Finland and Bulgaria?

Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung: With such important results, it can be said that the General Secretary's official visit to Finland and Bulgaria is of great significance and opens a new chapter in the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Finland, and Vietnam and Bulgaria.

The visit also strongly conveyed Vietnam's policy message to international friends in the following three aspects:

Firstly, regarding the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism, diversification, proactive and active integration into the international community in a comprehensive, deep, and effective manner, and playing an active and responsible role in the international community in the new era.

Secondly, it affirms that Vietnam has always prioritized and consistently maintained and developed relations with its traditional friendly countries.

Thirdly, we need to promote deep and substantive cooperation with key partners in Europe, including EU partners.

During the visit, ministries, departments, localities, and businesses signed numerous documents promoting cooperation in areas where both sides have strengths and needs...

In Finland, there are three documents in the fields of finance and environment, while in Bulgaria there are 10 documents in the fields of diplomacy, defense, security, finance, education, labor, local cooperation, etc.

General Secretary To Lam and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on friendly cooperation between Phu Tho province of Vietnam and Pernik province of Bulgaria. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

In the coming period, building on the results of the visit, and based on the consensus and coordination among ministries, agencies, and localities, Vietnam will work with Finland and Bulgaria to effectively implement the results of the visit, especially the Joint Declaration on establishing strategic partnerships with these countries, focusing on the following four key areas:

Firstly, we need to comprehensively and synchronously implement the content of the Joint Declaration on establishing Strategic Partnerships with other countries, especially strengthening high-level political trust commensurate with the current scale of the relationship through promoting contacts and exchanges of high-level delegations and delegations at all levels through Party, State, Parliament channels and people-to-people exchanges, within bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

Secondly, focus on strengthening cooperation in areas where each country has strengths, such as the digital economy, green economy, circular economy, science and technology, maritime affairs, renewable energy, and high-tech agriculture with Finland; and information technology, cybersecurity, e-government, and public administration with Bulgaria. This will deepen and strengthen the strategic partnerships between Vietnam and these countries, making them more practical and beneficial to each side.

Cooperation mechanisms and signed agreements also need to be implemented regularly, while simultaneously reviewing, monitoring, and inspecting their implementation to ensure their effectiveness and best serve the development goals in the new phase.

Thirdly, Vietnam, together with Finland and Bulgaria, will continue to coordinate closely in international and regional forums to contribute to peace, stability, and development in the two regions and the world.

Finland and Bulgaria will serve as gateways for Vietnam to promote cooperation with the Nordic and Balkan regions, as well as with the EU in general. Vietnam will also act as a gateway connecting these countries to the promising ASEAN region.

Fourth, implement measures to improve the effectiveness of other important areas of work such as cultural exchange, honoring President Ho Chi Minh, and work related to Vietnamese people in other countries, thereby further promoting the role of these fields in fostering friendship, understanding, and increasingly deep and lasting cooperation between Vietnam and other countries.

- Thank you very much, Minister./.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/giai-doan-phat-trien-moi-cho-quan-he-giua-viet-nam-va-ban-be-truyen-thong-post1072686.vnp