General Secretary To Lam and his wife arrived in Helsinki, beginning their visit to Finland.

On the evening of October 20th (Vietnam time), the special aircraft carrying General Secretary To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-level delegation from Vietnam, landed at Helsinki International Airport.

The General Secretary and his wife began an official visit to Finland at the invitation of President Alexander Stubb.

Welcoming General Secretary To Lam and his wife and delegation, on the Finnish side were Mr. Mika Koskinen, Director of the Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ; and Mr. Pekka Juhani Voutilainen, Ambassador of Finland to Vietnam. On the Vietnamese side were Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Binh, Ambassador of Vietnam to Finland; and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Finland.

Mika Koskinen, Director of Protocol at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and Ambassador Pham Thi Thanh Binh boarded the plane to welcome General Secretary To Lam and his wife.

General Secretary To Lam and his wife arrived in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, to begin their visit. Photo: VNA.

Upon disembarking, General Secretary To Lam and his wife successively shook hands with Finnish officials who had come to welcome the delegation and with staff members of the Vietnamese Embassy in Finland.

This is the highest-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to Finland, demonstrating Vietnam's deep appreciation for its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Finland.

The visit took place at a time when the two countries were celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations (1973-2023), marking a period of sustainable cooperation and opening a new phase of cooperation towards the next 50 years.

The visit marks a new development in bilateral relations, providing impetus for shaping strategic cooperation in future areas.

The two sides are expected to have extensive discussions on the direction of cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, education and training, environment and clean energy – areas where Finland has strengths and Vietnam is prioritizing development.

In recent years, Vietnam-Finland relations have developed very positively, substantively, and comprehensively, as evidenced by enhanced political dialogue, expanded economic, educational, and scientific and technological cooperation, and increasingly deep people-to-people exchanges.

In terms of politics and diplomacy, the two countries maintain regular exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts, thereby strengthening mutual trust and understanding.

Economically, bilateral trade volume maintains stable growth. Many large Finnish businesses operate effectively in Vietnam, contributing to promoting digital transformation, green development, and innovation. Vietnam is increasingly asserting its position as Finland's leading trading partner in Southeast Asia...

In education and science and technology, cooperation is increasingly vibrant. Thousands of Vietnamese students are studying in Finland, a country considered to have one of the world's leading advanced education systems. Universities and research institutes in both countries have implemented many joint training and research programs, particularly in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), clean energy, and innovation.

The Vietnamese community in Finland is also growing, integrating well, and actively contributing to local society. It also serves as a bridge of friendship between the people of the two countries, which is one of the reasons why the Finnish government included Vietnam in its list of four countries that "attract talent."

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-va-phu-nhan-den-helsinki-bat-dau-tham-phan-lan-2454713.html