"Vietnam is a key partner of the EU in Southeast Asia."

During a phone call with General Secretary To Lam, the President of the European Council affirmed that "Vietnam is a key partner of the EU in Southeast Asia and the Vietnam-EU relationship deserves to be elevated to a new level."

General Secretary To Lam held a phone call with President of the European Council Antonio Costa. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

On the evening of April 30, President of the European Council Antonio Costa held a telephone conversation with General Secretary To Lam to congratulate Vietnam on the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

Expressing his joy and honor at having the opportunity to speak with General Secretary To Lam on April 30th to congratulate him on this joyous occasion for the Vietnamese nation, Chairman Antonio Costa warmly congratulated the General Secretary and assessed that "this is a momentous historical event not only for Vietnam but also for the conscience of the whole world ."

General Secretary To Lam thanked the European Union (EU) and the President of the European Council personally for their warm congratulations on the occasion of Vietnam's anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country.

The General Secretary emphasized the immense significance of the Great Victory of Spring 1975, a glorious milestone in the history of nation-building and national defense of the Vietnamese people. He affirmed that this was a particularly important event that opened a new era in the history of the Vietnamese nation – building a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic, prosperous, and strong Vietnam. This is not only the result of the strength of national unity, realizing the aspirations for peace, independence, freedom, and national unity of the Vietnamese people, but also carries profound meaning regarding the strength of aspirations and international support for peace and national independence. Vietnam cherishes and thanks the valuable support of the international community, including the EU member states.

The General Secretary thanked the President of the European Council for his interest in and support for the development of Vietnam-EU relations; expressed satisfaction with the dynamic and comprehensive development of Vietnam-EU relations, from political-diplomatic, trade-investment, defense-security to new areas such as green transition, science-technology, and innovation; and affirmed that, after 35 years of establishing diplomatic relations, Vietnam and the EU, as well as the relationship between the two sides, are facing a new stage of development.

The General Secretary affirmed that in the context of difficult global trade, Vietnam advocates multilateralism, diversification, and equal, mutually beneficial cooperation with all partners, including the EU and its member states, aiming for balanced, sustainable trade cooperation that harmonizes the interests of all parties in order to achieve common development goals.

The General Secretary suggested that both sides actively exchange views and coordinate to find common solutions to overcome difficulties and obstacles, so as to strongly promote economic cooperation in the coming period.

General Secretary To Lam held a phone call with President of the European Council Antonio Costa. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

The President of the European Council affirmed that the two sides are “important, reliable, and stable partners” of each other; expressed pleasure at the dynamic and strong development of bilateral relations in all areas; affirmed that “Vietnam is a key partner of the EU in Southeast Asia and the Vietnam-EU relationship deserves to be elevated to a new level”; and stated that “the EU is proud to be part of Vietnam’s network of free trade agreements and hopes that the Vietnam-EU relationship will be a model of cooperation for the EU with other countries.”

The President of the European Council affirmed that, in the context of complex and volatile global geopolitical and economic conditions, the EU wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam to promote free trade and address global challenges, including climate change; both sides need to enhance cooperation in the fields of transport, infrastructure connectivity, green transformation, digital transformation, and innovation...

The President of the European Council agreed and affirmed that he would coordinate to promote the priorities in bilateral relations mentioned by the General Secretary, including the exchange of high-level delegations; effectively implementing cooperation mechanisms to resolve difficulties and obstacles and proposing new cooperation initiatives; effectively implementing the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and encouraging the remaining EU member states to soon complete the ratification of the Vietnam-EU Protection Agreement (EVIPA); supporting Vietnam in effectively implementing the Joint Partnership for a Just Energy Transition (JETP) to achieve the goal of net emissions to zero by 2050; and requesting the European Commission (EC) to consider lifting the IUU Yellow Card on Vietnamese seafood exports.

Discussing the international and regional situation, the General Secretary affirmed that Vietnam welcomes the EU and its member states in implementing several cooperation initiatives with the Indo-Pacific region with a balanced approach and multiple cooperation priorities that are suitable for countries in the region, including Vietnam.

The two leaders agreed that Vietnam and the EU need to strengthen cooperation within the framework of multilateral forums, contributing to ensuring peace, stability, and security in the world, supporting the peaceful resolution of disputes in the East Sea in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS 1982, and contributing to ensuring peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.

The President of the European Council agreed with the General Secretary's view that Vietnam is a nation that deeply cherishes peace, is ready to act as a bridge for peace and reconciliation, and participates actively and responsibly in resolving regional and global issues.

On this occasion, the General Secretary congratulated the EU and the President of the European Council on the occasion of Europe Day (May 9).

The General Secretary respectfully invited the President of the European Council to visit Vietnam at a suitable time, and the President of the European Council happily accepted the invitation.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-la-doi-tac-tru-cot-cua-eu-o-dong-nam-a-post1036083.vnp