The Congress was attended by Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations; Carmen Cano de Lasala, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Spain to Viet Nam; Nguyen Duc Loi, President of the Viet Nam-Spain Friendship Association for the 3rd term; members of the Standing Committee and Executive Committee of the Association; representatives of its member chapters; and numerous members and individuals closely involved in Viet Nam-Spain friendship activities.

The Congress took place as the two countries look ahead to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027. In this context, people-to-people diplomacy is expected to play a role in connecting people, enhancing mutual understanding and strengthening the social foundation of bilateral relations.

The Viet Nam-Spain Friendship Association held its 4th National Congress for the 2026-2031 term. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

In his opening remarks, Nguyen Duc Loi, President of the Association for the 3rd term, said the Congress was tasked with reviewing the results of the previous term and setting directions for the 2026-2031 term. According to him, relations between the two countries are expanding across various fields, creating conditions for the Association to continue innovating and promoting its role as a bridge between the peoples of the two countries.

The Congress elected Nguyen Duc Loi, former Member of the Party Central Committee, former Director General of Viet Nam News Agency, and Standing Vice President of the Viet Nam Journalists Association, to continue serving as President of the Viet Nam-Spain Friendship Association.

On behalf of the Executive Committee for the 4th term, Nguyen Duc Loi affirmed that the Association would build on its achievements while renewing its content and methods of operation to strengthen ties between the peoples of the two countries.

Nguyen Duc Loi, former Member of the Party Central Committee, former Director General of Viet Nam News Agency, and Standing Vice President of the Viet Nam Journalists Association continues serving as President of the Viet Nam-Spain Friendship Association (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

From friendship exchanges to cooperative connections

Speaking at the Congress, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Nguyen Ngoc Hung acknowledged the Association’s contributions and offered five suggestions for the new term.

First, the Association should place its activities within the broader framework of the Party and State’s foreign policy while promoting the distinctive strengths of people-to-people diplomacy: bringing relations between the two countries closer to their peoples and translating cooperation frameworks at the national level into concrete connections among localities, schools, businesses, social organizations and people of the two countries.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Second, the Association should renew its content and methods of operation in a professional, practical and effective direction; strengthen the application of digital technology, modern communications and social media, particularly to reach younger generations.

Third, major milestones in bilateral relations should be leveraged to create long-term value. With the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027, activities should aim for concrete outcomes, such as new cooperation programmes, partner networks, youth initiatives, cultural and educational exchanges, or connections among localities.

Fourth, the Association should expand from “friendship exchanges” to “cooperative connections and the mobilization of social resources”. Its network of partners should be expanded to include universities, research institutes, business associations, local authorities, social organizations and the Vietnamese community in Spain. This would help promote cooperation in green transition, digital transformation, education, heritage preservation, youth exchanges and maritime cooperation.

Fifth, the Association should attach particular importance to young people and new forms of connection. According to Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Viet Nam-Spain relations over the next 10, 20 or 30 years will depend greatly on the younger generations of the two countries. Therefore, more space should be created for young people, students, young researchers, young entrepreneurs and young artists to meet, learn from one another and jointly implement initiatives.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung expressed his hope that the Association would gradually become a platform connecting knowledge, culture, people and development cooperation between the two countries, while also serving as a place where new initiatives and partnerships can emerge.

Expanding the social foundation for bilateral relations

Spanish Ambassador to Viet Nam Carmen Cano de Lasala said the 4th National Congress of the Viet Nam-Spain Friendship Association for the 2026-2031 term marked a milestone opening a new chapter in promoting bilateral cooperation.

Spanish Ambassador to Viet Nam Carmen Cano. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

According to the Ambassador, bilateral relations have made significant progress in recent years. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Viet Nam in April 2025. In late July 2026, the President of the Government of Catalonia visited Viet Nam. Barcelona and Ho Chi Minh City have established friendship and cooperation relations, while the two countries are also studying the possibility of establishing additional friendship relations between cities.

Carmen Cano de Lasala said Spain attaches importance to Viet Nam as a dynamic country with great potential in its foreign policy strategies and policies for the coming period. Bilateral cooperation is becoming increasingly diverse, spanning politics, defence, economy and agriculture, as well as education, culture and tourism.

In 2025, 100,000 Spanish tourists visited Viet Nam. Technology, research and development are also priority areas. Cultural and social exchange activities are becoming increasingly frequent, contributing to greater mutual understanding and stronger connections between the peoples of the two countries.

The Ambassador also highlighted the potential for connections through the Spanish language. She expressed her hope that Vietnamese people proficient in Spanish could become “ambassadors”, helping promote the Spanish language in Viet Nam. According to her, the language opens the door to a network of more than 600 million speakers worldwide, while creating additional cooperation and employment opportunities for Viet Nam’s younger generation.

Looking ahead to 2027, Ambassador Carmen Cano de Lasala said the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations would provide an opportunity for the two sides to promote ties between agencies and organizations. The Embassy of Spain in Viet Nam and the Viet Nam-Spain Friendship Association could strengthen coordination in organizing joint activities.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, presents a commemorative flag to the Viet Nam-Spain Friendship Association. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

In his closing remarks, President of the Association Nguyen Duc Loi emphasized that the Congress Resolution would only be meaningful when translated into action. The Executive Committee for the 4th term will translate the Resolution into work programmes and plans, identify priority tasks and initiatives capable of engaging members, partners and friends from both countries.

The spirit for the new term has been defined as “greater solidarity within the organization, greater proactiveness in building connections, greater creativity in approaches and more substantive results.”

The directions set out at the Congress show that the space for Viet Nam-Spain people-to-people diplomacy is expanding from friendship exchanges to connections among people, knowledge, localities and social resources. This provides a basis for the Association to continue promoting its role as a bridge, strengthening mutual understanding and trust, and creating a social foundation for bilateral relations.

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