General Secretary To Lam begins official visit to the Republic of Finland

According to the special correspondent of VNA, at exactly 6:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. Hanoi time) on October 20, the plane carrying General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly and the high-ranking delegation of our country landed at Helsinki International Airport, beginning an official visit to the Republic of Finland at the invitation of President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb.

General Secretary To Lam and his wife arrive in Helsinki, beginning an official visit to the Republic of Finland. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Welcoming General Secretary To Lam and his wife along with the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation at Helsinki International Airport, on the Finnish side were: Mr. Mika Koskinen, Director of the Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ; Mr. Pekka Juhani Voutilaine, Ambassador of Finland to Vietnam. On the Vietnamese side were: Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Binh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Finland; officers and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Finland.

At Helsinki International Airport, Director of the Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland Mika Koskinen and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Finland Pham Thi Thanh Binh boarded the plane to welcome General Secretary To Lam and his wife to Finland. After getting off the plane, General Secretary To Lam and his wife shook hands with Finnish officials who came to welcome the delegation and the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Finland.

General Secretary To Lam and his wife arrive in Helsinki, beginning an official visit to the Republic of Finland. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Finland established diplomatic relations with Vietnam on January 25, 1973. The Finnish Embassy in Hanoi was opened in 1974 and Vietnam opened its Embassy in Helsinki in late 2005. The traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries have been maintained and developed well.

This is the highest-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to Finland, demonstrating Vietnam's deep appreciation for the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Finland. The visit takes place at a time when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1973 - 2023), marking a milestone in sustainable cooperation and opening a new phase of cooperation towards the next 50 years.

The visit is a new development in bilateral relations, creating momentum for shaping strategic cooperation in future fields. The two sides are expected to have in-depth discussions on cooperation orientations in the fields of economics, trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, education and training, environment and clean energy - areas in which Finland has strengths and Vietnam is prioritizing development.

Nguyen Hong Diep (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-bat-dau-tham-chinh-thuc-cong-hoa-phan-lan-20251020225731137.htm