Top leader holds talks with European Council President

President António Costa warmly welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on their official visit to the EU. He fondly recalled his deep impressions of Viet Nam and its people, as well as the warm and cordial reception extended by the Vietnamese side during his visit in early January this year.

The two leaders’ early reunion reflects the increasingly deep political trust between Viet Nam and the EU, he stressed.

Viet Nam is an important partner of the EU in the Indo-Pacific region, he said, expressing confidence that both sides would continue to build on their foundation of political trust and positive cooperation outcomes to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, bringing tangible benefits to both sides.

Expressing his pleasure at visiting the EU for the first time in his new capacity, General Secretary and President To Lam spoke highly of the role played by the European Council and President António Costa personally in shaping the EU’s strategic priorities, promoting unity and consensus among member states, strengthening the bloc’s self-reliance and resilience, and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and around the world.

Viet Nam regards the EU as one of its top-priority partners, with substantial shared interests and long-term cooperation potential. It wishes to translate commitments into concrete outcomes and practical cooperation projects that will support development and improve the lives of people on both sides, he noted.

General Secretary and President To Lam and President António Costa welcomed the positive progress in Viet Nam-EU relations after more than 36 years of diplomatic ties, particularly following the elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in January 2026.

Amid complex regional and global developments, the two leaders agreed that Viet Nam and the EU should strengthen dialogue, contacts and exchanges at all levels, particularly at the high level, to consolidate political trust and enhance mutual understanding. They also agreed to improve cooperation effectiveness and create breakthroughs by expanding collaboration into new areas aligned with the development priorities of both sides, including green transition, innovation, strategic infrastructure and the circular economy.

Sharing a vision for developing a blue economy, protecting the oceans and ensuring maritime security, the two sides agreed to explore and promote maritime economic cooperation as a new pillar of bilateral relations.

General Secretary and President To Lam called for deeper economic, trade and investment ties, and for the two sides to continue fully capitalising on the potential and advantages offered by the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). He thanked the EU for recognising Viet Nam’s efforts and removing the country from Annex I of the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. He also called on both sides to work closely together to swiftly resolve longstanding outstanding issues, including the removal of the “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the early ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

President António Costa affirmed the EU’s desire to further deepen substantive cooperation with Viet Nam by effectively leveraging EU programmes and initiatives, such as the Global Gateway, to promote high-quality investment, develop sustainable connectivity infrastructure and advance the energy transition.

The EU will continue promoting cooperation, sharing experience and building capacity in maritime security and safety, cybersecurity and crisis management, as well as coordinating in responding to non-traditional challenges, particularly climate change and emerging technological challenges, including artificial intelligence, in line with the needs, priorities and shared interests of both sides, he said.

On this occasion, the two leaders also held in-depth and wide-ranging discussions on regional and international issues. They agreed to strengthen exchanges, consultations and coordination at multilateral forums; uphold multilateralism, the United Nations Charter and international law; and further promote ASEAN-EU relations, thereby making positive contributions to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Indo-Pacific.

President António Costa emphasised that the EU attaches importance to advancing relations with ASEAN, with Viet Nam as one of its leading partners, as the EU and ASEAN work towards upgrading their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2027, when they will mark the 50th anniversary of their relations.

He reaffirmed the EU’s continued support for ASEAN centrality and for ASEAN’s and Viet Nam’s positions on promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ensuring peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the seas and oceans.