New development stage for relations between Vietnam and traditional friends Finland and Bulgaria

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) is pleased to present the following interview:

Photo caption — General Secretary To Lam and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev at a press conference. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

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

The visit of General Secretary To Lam and his wife along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation is not only the first historic visit by a General Secretary to Finland since the two countries established diplomatic relations (in 1973) and Bulgaria since 1990, but also the first visit by the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the Northern Europe and Balkans region, affirming Vietnam's interest in promoting cooperation with traditional friends and with this region. Particularly for Bulgaria, the visit also takes place at a time of special significance when 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, leaders of National Assemblies of various countries, meetings and contacts with political parties, representatives of mass organizations, friendship organizations, businesses, representatives of the Vietnamese community in Northern Europe and the Balkans, and with many important documents signed. Leaders of departments, ministries and branches also had very effective working sessions with partners of Finland and Bulgaria in many different areas of cooperation.

In recent days, the high-ranking leaders and people of Finland and Bulgaria have given General Secretary To Lam and his wife and the high-ranking delegation a warm and cordial welcome with many exceptions. We have relived the atmosphere and sentiments of the people of the Eastern European and Northern European socialist countries who enthusiastically support the Vietnamese people. During the meetings, the high-ranking leaders of the countries expressed their impressions of Vietnam's great achievements in all aspects as well as their respect for 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 the countries have agreed to establish a Vietnam-Finland Strategic Partnership and a Vietnam-Bulgaria Strategic Partnership. These new cooperation frameworks have made Finland and Bulgaria Vietnam's first Strategic Partners in the Nordic and Balkan regions, affirming Vietnam's special regard for the region and its traditional friends, further developing the good traditional relationship, opening a new phase of development for relations between Vietnam and the two countries, and promoting 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. They affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world; supported the peaceful resolution of disputes based on respect for international law; called for restraint and the cessation of conflict; and agreed to coordinate efforts to contribute to strengthening peace, stability, and security in the region and the world. General Secretary To Lam and the leaders of the two countries also agreed that both sides should act as a bridge 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 has contributed to promoting the close relationship between the Vietnamese people and the people of traditional friendly countries, as well as the spirit of solidarity and attachment of the Vietnamese people not only in Finland and Bulgaria, but also in countries in the region with their homeland. The Vietnamese community in Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Bulgaria and some Balkan countries is very happy and proud to welcome the highest-ranking leader of Vietnam to visit, demonstrating the care and encouragement of our Party and State for the Vietnamese community abroad. This is also a motivation for the people to actively turn to the country as well as deeply integrate into the host society, becoming a bridge of friendship between the people of the two countries.

Overall, the visit continued to actively implement the 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 consolidated a favorable foreign policy environment; 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?

With the significant results mentioned above, it can be said that the General Secretary's official visits to Finland and Bulgaria were of great importance and opened a new chapter in the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Finland, and Vietnam and Bulgaria. The visits also strongly conveyed Vietnam's policy message to international friends in the following three aspects:

Firstly, regarding the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, proactiveness, active and comprehensive international integration, and promoting an active and responsible role towards the international community in the new era; Secondly, affirming that Vietnam always consistently gives priority to and maintains and develops relations with traditional friendly countries; Thirdly, promoting extensive and substantive cooperation with important 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 were 3 documents in the fields of finance and environment; in Bulgaria, there were 10 documents in the fields of diplomacy, defense, security, finance, education, labor, and local cooperation…

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, synchronously and comprehensively implement the content of the Joint Statement on establishing a Strategic Partnership with countries, especially enhancing high political trust, commensurate with the current stature of the relationship through promoting contacts and exchanges of high-level delegations and comprehensive delegations at all levels through Party, State, National Assembly 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 should be implemented regularly, while also being reviewed, monitored, and inspected to ensure their effectiveness and to best serve development goals in the new phase.

Third, Vietnam, together with Finland and Bulgaria, will continue to closely coordinate in international and regional forums to contribute to peace, stability and development in the two regions and the world. Finland and Bulgaria will be the bridgehead for Vietnam to promote cooperation with the Nordic and Balkan regions as well as with the EU in general. Vietnam will also be the gateway to connect countries with the potential 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!

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/chinh-polit/giai-doan-phat-trien-moi-cho-quan-he-giua-viet-nam-va-cac-nuoc-ban-be-truyen-thong-phan-lan-bulgaria-20251025200613000.htm