Vietnam and Croatia have great potential and strengths in labor cooperation.

The Croatian Minister of Labour, Pensions and Social Affairs stated that the country hopes to attract a wave of skilled, legal workers to Croatia, with Vietnam being a potential partner.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang with State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Pensions and Social Affairs of Croatia Ivan Vidis. (Photo: VNA)

On March 14th, within the framework of the visit and political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Croatia, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang held a working meeting with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Pensions and Social Affairs of Croatia, Mr. Ivan Vidis, to discuss the potential for labor cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang informed the Croatian side about Vietnam's socio -economic situation; affirming the potential and strengths of the Vietnamese workforce with a population of over 100 million people, 53% of whom are of working age, promising to be an efficient and high-quality labor market for Croatia.

Vietnam also wishes to cooperate with Croatia in providing vocational training for Vietnamese workers to meet the standards of the European Union (EU).

State Secretary Ivan Vidis agreed to promote cooperation between the two countries in the fields of labor and vocational training. He also stated that Croatia currently has approximately 200,000 foreign workers, equivalent to 6% of the Croatian population, mainly from neighboring countries such as the former Yugoslavia and South Asian countries.

In fact, 80% of Croatia's economic sectors are currently experiencing labor shortages. Therefore, to facilitate the attraction of foreign workers, Croatia allows the provision of contracts and work permits for foreigners for three years, ensuring the same rights as those of local workers.

Croatia hopes to attract a wave of skilled, legal workers to Croatia, with Vietnam being a potential partner.

Both sides agreed to strengthen labor cooperation, including continuing to facilitate direct cooperation between businesses of the two countries. Simultaneously, they will initiate negotiations to build a legal framework through the signing of a bilateral agreement.

With that in mind, State Secretary Ivan Vidis agreed to visit and conduct a market survey in Vietnam in 2025.

(VNA/Vietnam+)