General Secretary To Lam and his wife arrive in Helsinki, beginning a visit to Finland.

On the evening of October 20 (Vietnam time), the plane carrying General Secretary To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly and the high-ranking delegation of our country 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 the delegation, on the Finnish side were Mr. Mika Koskinen, Director of the Protocol Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ; 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 Embassy of Vietnam in Finland.

Director of the Department of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland Mika Koskinen 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 arrive in Helsinki, beginning a visit to Finland. Photo: VNA

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.

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

The visit took place at a time when the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of establishing 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.

In recent years, Vietnam - Finland relations have developed very positively, substantially and comprehensively, demonstrated through enhanced political dialogue, expanded economic - educational - scientific - technological cooperation, and increasingly deeper people-to-people exchange.

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

Economically, two-way trade turnover has maintained a steady growth momentum. Many large Finnish enterprises operate effectively in Vietnam, contributing to promoting digital transformation, green development and innovation. Vietnam is increasingly affirming its position as Finland's leading trade partner in Southeast Asia...

Cooperation in education and science and technology is increasingly vibrant. Thousands of Vietnamese students are studying in Finland, a country considered to have one of the most advanced education systems in the world. Universities and research institutes of the two countries have implemented many joint training and research programs, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), clean energy and innovation.

The Vietnamese community in Finland is also growing, integrating well and actively contributing to the local society, and is a bridge of friendship between the people of the two countries, which is one of the bases for the Finnish Government to put Vietnam on the list of 4 countries "attracting talent".

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