Greece seeks stronger labor cooperation with Vietnam, ASEAN
Greece is looking to expand labor cooperation with Vietnam and other ASEAN countries to help meet its workforce needs and support economic growth, said Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Athanasios Plevris.
Meeting with representatives from Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia in Athens on July 2, Plevris stressed that Greece is keen to strengthen labor ties with ASEAN countries to address labor shortages.
He said the early signing of bilateral labor agreements will help better protect the rights and interests of both workers and employers while supporting efforts to tackle irregular migration, one of the Greek Government's priorities.
The minister noted that migration management has become a major focus of the European Union following the entry into force of the EU's new Pact on Migration and Asylum in June.
At the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong said that following her meeting with the minister in March, the Vietnamese Embassy has discussed Greece's proposals on labor cooperation with relevant authorities in Vietnam.
She expressed her hope that the two sides will continue consultations and move towards the early signing of a bilateral labor cooperation agreement, creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese workers to take up employment in Greece while contributing to more substantive and effective bilateral relations, VNA reported.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong (second from left) and representatives of other ASEAN countries at the meeting with Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Athanasios Plevris (third from left). (Photo published by VNA) |
Plevris welcomed the proposal and instructed relevant agencies to continue working closely with Vietnam and other ASEAN countries to expedite negotiations on labor cooperation agreements.
According to Greece's Ministry of Migration and Asylum, about 1,700 Vietnamese workers currently hold valid residence permits in the country.
FDI inflows to Vietnam surge 61% in H1, led by Asian investors
Vietnam attracted US$34.65 billion in registered foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first half of 2026, a 61% increase from a year earlier, highlighting the country's continued appeal as a destination for international investors.
Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) shows newly registered FDI reached US$17.39 billion across 2,013 projects, marking a sharp increase in registered capital compared with the same period last year.
Additional capital injected into existing projects totalled US$11.04 billion, while foreign investors contributed US$6.22 billion through capital contributions and share acquisitions, up nearly 90% year on year, indicating sustained growth in both new and expansion investment.
Manufacturing and processing received the largest amount of foreign investment, accounting for around 60–63% of total newly registered and additional capital. The sector continued to dominate FDI inflows, underscoring Vietnam's increasingly important role in global manufacturing and supply chains, according to VOV.
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| Manufacturing leads Vietnam's FDI inflows, drawing US$10.76 billion, or nearly 62% of newly registered investment capital. (Illustrative image) |
Asian economies continued to lead foreign investment into Vietnam. Singapore was the largest investor with more than US$7.3 billion in newly registered capital, followed by the Republic of Korea, Japan and China. Together, these economies represented the majority of FDI committed during the first six months of the year.
Meanwhile, FDI disbursement reached an estimated US$13.03 billion, the highest level recorded for the first half of a year in the past five years and up 11.2% from a year earlier. The figures suggest that not only are investment commitments increasing, but project implementation is also gathering pace.
Manufacturing accounted for the bulk of realised FDI, with US$10.76 billion, or 82.6% of the total. Real estate absorbed US$965.2 million (7.4%), while electricity, gas, hot water, steam and air-conditioning supply projects received US$479.2 million, representing 3.7%.
Overall, Vietnam's FDI performance in the first half of 2026 reflected robust growth in both the scale and quality of investment inflows, with Asian investors continuing to play a leading role, particularly in the manufacturing sector.
International tourist arrivals to Vietnam rise nearly 15% in first half of 2026
Vietnam welcomed nearly 12.3 million international visitors in the first six months of 2026, up 14.9% year-on-year, putting the tourism sector on track to achieve its target of attracting 25 million foreign tourists this year.
According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT)'s Tourism Information Centre, the country received around 1.7 million international visitors in June alone, an increase of 14.7% from the same month last year, despite the month traditionally being part of the low travel season.
The strong performance came amid continued global economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, highlighting Vietnam's growing appeal as a safe, culturally rich and competitively priced destination with improving service quality. Favourable visa policies, expanded international air connectivity, stronger tourism promotion and international cooperation have also helped sustain inbound tourism growth.
Air travel remained the dominant mode of entry, with 10.12 million arrivals, accounting for 82.6% of the total and rising 11.4% year-on-year. Land arrivals reached 1.92 million, posting the fastest growth among all transport modes at 37.5%, while more than 209,000 visitors arrived by sea, up 15.2%.
China remained Vietnam's largest source market with 2.7 million visitors, followed by the Republic of Korea with 2.16 million. Together, the two markets accounted for around 40% of total international arrivals.
Russia maintained exceptional momentum, recording 742,700 visitors, up 185.8% from a year earlier, making it Vietnam's third-largest source market. The surge reflects the restoration and expansion of direct flights, growing demand among Russian travellers for beach holidays, and Vietnam's competitive tourism products, VNA reported.
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| The number of international tourist arrivals to Vietnam climbs nearly 15% in the first half of 2026. (Photo: VNA) |
Other major markets included Taiwan (China) with more than 638,000 visitors, the US with nearly 530,000, Cambodia with over 509,000, India with more than 491,000, and Japan with 442,000.
Southeast Asia continued to be a key growth driver. The Philippines recorded the strongest increase at 67.6%, followed by Cambodia (41.2%), Singapore (29.4%), Indonesia (26.5%), Malaysia (23.4%) and Thailand (10%). Growing intra-ASEAN travel, supported by geographic proximity, dense flight networks and easier travel policies, has strengthened the region's role as a stable source of visitors.
India also remained a standout market, with arrivals rising 45.6%, driven by additional direct flights and stronger promotional efforts.
Europe recorded the highest regional growth rate at 56.1%, led by Russia and supported by continued gains from Western and Northern European markets. Arrivals from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland all increased, benefiting in part from Vietnam's visa exemption policy for several European countries. Long-haul markets also expanded steadily, with arrivals from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all posting double-digit growth.
VNAT expected international arrivals to remain strong in the second half of the year as the peak travel season from Northeast Asia, Europe and North America begins in the third and fourth quarters. Combined with continued visa facilitation, expanded international air links, stronger marketing campaigns and improved tourism products and services, the first-half performance is expected to provide a solid foundation for achieving the country's target of 25 million international visitors in 2026.
Vietnam braces for first tropical storm in 2026
Maysak, the first tropical storm forecast to affect Vietnam in 2026 is moving toward the Gulf of Tonkin and is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain in 12 northern localities.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the storm was centered over waters northwest of the Hoang Sa special zone at 7:00 a.m. on July 3, packing sustained winds of 62–74 kph and gusts of up to 102 kph.
The storm is forecast to move north-northwest over the next one to two days before entering the Gulf of Tonkin and making landfall along the coast of Quang Ninh on July 5. It is expected to maintain force 8 winds with gusts reaching force 10 as it moves inland.
By July 6, the storm is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression before further dissipating into a low-pressure area over southern Guangxi, China.
Authorities warned that the storm could affect 12 northern localities, including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen and Ha Noi.
The storm is currently generating force 6–7 winds across the northwestern part of the East Sea, including the Hoang Sa special zone, with force 8 winds near its center and gusts of up to force 10. Its influence is expected to spread to the Gulf of Tonkin from the night of July 3, cited VGP.
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| Forecast path of Maysak. |
Wave heights of 2–4 meters and rough seas are forecast, posing risks to fishing vessels, cargo ships, tourist boats and other marine activities. Fishing operations, maritime transport and coastal tourism may face disruptions.
From the afternoon of July 4, coastal areas of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Hung Yen are expected to experience force 6 winds, increasing to force 7–8 near the storm's center, with gusts of up to force 9–10.
Sea waves along the coast may reach 2–3 meters, while storm surge could raise sea levels by 0.3–0.5 meters. Residents and vessels operating in affected areas have been advised to closely monitor official forecasts and take necessary precautions.
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