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Vietnam vows to advance strategic partnership with Czech Republic

Vietnam always attaches importance to and wishes to further strengthen cooperation with the Czech Republic, one of its top priority partners and its first Strategic Partner in Central and Eastern Europe, State President Luong Cuong affirmed on November 20.

Receiving Milos Vystrcil, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, President Cuong stressed that the visit holds significant meaning as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950–2025) and actively implement the substance of the Strategic Partnership framework established in January 2025.

The President expressed his sincere appreciation for the warm sentiments and valuable assistance that the Czech Republic has extended to Vietnam during its struggle for national liberation in the past, as well as in the country’s current development and modernization efforts.

Senate President Vystrcil congratulated Vietnam on its major achievements over 80 years of independence, 50 years of national reunification, and in its recent process of development and international integration. He affirmed that the Czech Republic regards Vietnam as an important partner in Southeast Asia and wishes to advance cooperation across all fields.

Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the positive growth of bilateral relations in multiple areas, underpinned by a high level of political trust. Two-way trade has posted impressive growth, reaching 2 billion USD in 2024 and 1.9 billion USD in the first ten months of 2025, though still falling short of the two countries’ potential and strengths. Both sides see considerable room to further boost trade and investment ties, and cooperation in many other spheres.

President Cuong suggested the legislative bodies of both countries to continue coordination in creating a favorable legal framework for bilateral cooperation, serving the shared interests of the two nations and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

He said the two sides should enhance exchanges and delegation visits at all levels and through various channels to strengthen political trust; expand cooperation in economy, trade, investment, defense and security, science and technology, education and training, culture and tourism; and promote people-to-people exchanges to deepen mutual understanding and open new areas of complementary cooperation.

The President asked the Czech Republic to work with other EU member states to expedite the ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support the European Commission in lifting the IUU warning on Vietnam’s seafood exports.

Senate President Vystrcil said the two legislatures will coordinate to implement high-level agreements and support both governments in advancing bilateral cooperation across all sectors, according to VNA.

Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong (right) and Czech Republic's Senate President Milos Vystrcil (Photo: VNA)

He also praised the contributions of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic to the host country’s socio-economic development, affirming that the Czech Parliament and authorities at all levels will continue to provide support and favorable conditions for the community.

On multilateral cooperation, the two leaders affirmed that Vietnam and the Czech Republic will continue to coordinate closely and support each other at multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations and within the ASEAN–EU framework. They noted support for the stance on settling disputes, including the East Sea issue, by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

On this occasion, Senate President Vystrcil announced that the Czech Republic will provide humanitarian assistance worth approximately 3.5 billion VND (132,600 USD) to residents affected by storms and flooding in central Vietnam.

President Cuong asked Senate President Vystrcil to convey his invitation to Czech President Petr Pavel to visit Vietnam soon to continue discussions on directions and measures to further advance bilateral relations in the time ahead.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Algerian counterpart Sifi Ghrieb co-chair a working session with ministries, agencies and businesses from both countries. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam, Algeria seek new cooperation projects

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged ministries, agencies, and businesses from Vietnam and Algeria to swiftly advance cooperation in agriculture, particularly in banana, tea and rice cultivation, and aquaculture.

While co-chairing a working session with ministries and businesses of both countries on November 19, visiting PM Chinh and his Algerian counterpart Sifi Ghrieb asked them to immediately explore cooperation projects in energy and petrochemical and polymer-fiber production, as well as partnerships to develop 5G products and network systems, cited VNA.

They tasked the Inter-Governmental Committee - newly upgraded to a mechanism co-chaired by the two foreign ministers - to hold regular meetings, either in person or online, every six months or as needed to review and push forward cooperation projects.

PM Ghrieb said that with Algeria’s large rice demand and full reliance on imports, the country is eager to move ahead with cooperation projects with Vietnam, adding it is ready to allocate land in eastern Algeria, where soil conditions are favorable, for Vietnamese investors.

The PM called on ministries, agencies and partners from both sides to promptly study and discuss the projects directly, conduct comprehensive assessments, and within three months draw up concrete proposals to implement the priority cooperation areas agreed at the high level.

In that spirit, on November 20, representatives from relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam National Industry-Energy Group (Petrovietnam), and Vietnam Fisheries Society, held meetings with Algerian partners to explore cooperation opportunities across various sectors.

The Algerian minister of agriculture and leaders of several other ministries said they will soon visit Vietnam to continue discussions and finalize cooperation projects in the near future.

Vietnam and RoK pledge to foster comprehensive cooperation

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man of Vietnam and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik of the Republic of Korea (RoK) held talks in Hanoi on November 20, vowing to promote comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

During the talks, Chairman Man noted that Speaker Woo had chosen Vietnam as the first country to visit in Southeast Asia, marking a new milestone in bilateral relations. He affirmed Vietnam places great importance on its strategic partnership with the RoK and expressed confidence that this visit would play a pivotal role in deepening cooperation across multiple areas.

Chairman Man congratulated the RoK on its remarkable achievements in recent years, particularly the successful organisation of the 32nd EPEC Economic Leaders’ Week (APEC 2025) in Gyeongju. He also praised the RoK’s timely efforts in implementing development policies focused on inclusive growth and technological transformation to enhance national strength and propel the country into a new phase of development.

Speaker Woo, for his part, extended congratulations to Vietnam for its remarkable progress, expressing confidence that the country would continue to grow stronger, elevate its international standing, and achieve even greater accomplishments in the future.

He also emphasized that the RoK remains Vietnam’s top source of foreign direct investment and the third-largest trade partner. The two countries reached a milestone of 5 million mutual arrivals in 2024. He further highlighted the many cultural similarities between the two countries, stating that they have become top economic partners and that their relationship is inseparable.

Both top legislators spoke highly of the positive developments in bilateral cooperation between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. They acknowledged the vital role of parliamentary diplomacy, noting that cooperation between their parliaments has become a cornerstone of the relationship. This collaboration has proven essential in overseeing the implementation of high-level agreements, sharing legislative experiences, and fostering mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries.

The two sides highlighted the importance of strengthening political trust and ensuring continuous high-level exchanges, which will form the foundation for expanding cooperation in all areas. They underscored the need for deeper collaboration in defense and security, sharing expertise and offering mutual support in addressing non-traditional security challenges such as transnational crime.

They agreed to promote effective economic cooperation that aligns with the mutual interests of both sides, working toward the goal of raising bilateral trade to US$150 billion by 2030. They also vowed to expand cooperation in industries such as energy, technology transfer, and other sectors that will contribute to their shared development goals.

Speaker Woo expected that Vietnam would continue to create favorable conditions and provide support to address challenges, ensuring that RoK businesses feel confident to invest stably and long term in Vietnam.

Building on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the two leaders agreed to further increase cooperation in human resource training, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, reported VOV.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man (R) of Vietnam welcomes National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik of the Republic of Korea (RoK) on an official visit to Vietnam.

On this occasion, Chairman Man requested that Speaker Woo and the RoK National Assembly continue to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese community in the country, including the approximately 100,000 Vietnamese-Korean multicultural families.

Both sides highly appreciated the positive results of cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries in recent times. They outlined plans to implement the new cooperation document signed during the visit, and reiterated their commitment to maintaining regular exchanges of high-level parliamentary delegations, sharing experiences in lawmaking, and fostering institutional development for sustainable growth.

The two leaders also emphasized the role of legislative bodies in ensuring the successful implementation of international treaties and agreements between the two governments. They recognized the importance of strengthening parliamentary exchanges and highlighted the role of Parliamentary Friendship Groups in promoting closer ties between the two peoples.

The two sides also pledged to continue supporting each other and coordinating efforts at regional and global inter-parliamentary forums such as the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

During the talks, both sides exchanged views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern. Following the meeting, they signed a new Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between their parliaments.

Dong Nai cooperates in developing green industrial parks with Japanese city

The People’s Committee of Dong Nai Province and the Government of Kobe City (Japan) jointly organised a seminar on collaboration for green growth on November 20, creating new momentum for green industrial park development and sustainable transition.

Speaking at the event, Ho Van Ha, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, emphasised that Dong Nai has consistently prioritized green and sustainable development. The province is focusing on transforming existing industrial parks and investing in new ones following ecological and green industrial park models.

According to Ha, Dong Nai Province attaches particular importance to cooperation with Kobe City — a Japanese city possessing extensive experience in industrial infrastructure development and many similarities with Dong Nai.

On September 10, 2024, in Tokyo (Japan’s capital), the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on green growth with the Government of Kobe City.

Through this cooperation program, Dong Nai aims to build a partnership to implement projects on green and smart industrial parks, promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, and foster sustainable development within its industrial parks in the coming period.

The seminar on collaboration for green growth between Dong Nai Province and Kobe City is a valuable opportunity for infrastructure developers and Japanese enterprises to shape and plan activities related to industrial symbiosis and cleaner production.

These efforts aim to foster sustainable development based on digital transformation and green transition, improve operational efficiency and performance, reduce emissions, and move towards a green economy and circular economy, cited NDO.

Delegates from Kobe City learn about recycled products made from industrial waste by enterprises in Dong Nai Province.

At the seminar, delegates from Dong Nai Province and Kobe City focused their discussions on topics including researching and reviewing potential opportunities for green and ecological transformation within industrial parks; identifying opportunities for feasibility studies; and supporting the formation of private projects that can utilise the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in industrial parks.

Dong Nai Province currently has 57 industrial parks, one economic zone, and one hi-tech park. Under the development plan for Dong Nai industrial parks for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, as approved by the Prime Minister, the province will have 81 industrial parks.

To date, Dong Nai has attracted investment from 45 countries and territories, with a total of 2,744 projects, including 1,909 foreign-invested projects and 835 domestic projects.

Vietnam Airlines launches first direct route to Northern Europe

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced the launch of its first direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, marking the first direct connection between Vietnam and Northern Europe.

Starting December 15, the carrier will operate three weekly round-trip flights on the wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Flights will depart from Ho Chi Minh City every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while return flights from Copenhagen will be available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The announcement of the new route coincided with several key agreements signed between Vietnam Airlines and Nordic partners during the Vietnam–Europe Tourism Promotion Program on November 19. These partnerships aim to strengthen tourism ties and market development in Northern Europe.

One major agreement includes a strategic cooperation pact with Greater Copenhagen Connected, focusing on joint tourism promotion and the development of the Nordic market. This collaboration is expected to provide a strong foundation for future destination-marketing activities for Vietnam in the region.

Vietnam Airlines also signed a memorandum of understanding with Copenhagen Airport on infrastructure utilization, service-quality enhancement, and coordinated implementation of joint promotional campaigns. In addition, the airline and Albatros Travel, a Danish tour operator, agreed to collaborate on developing two-way tourism products aimed at increasing the number of Danish visitors to Vietnam while expanding outbound flows from Vietnam to the Nordic region, cited VOV.

At the launch ceremony of the direct route from Ho Chi Minh City to Copenhagen.

Moreover, a tripartite cooperation framework was established between Vietnam Airlines, Saigontourist, and Nordic Travel to expand package tours and enhance customer experience for travelers heading to and from Northern Europe.

Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital and one of Northern Europe’s leading economic and tourism hubs, serves as a gateway to the wider Scandinavian region, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. At present, Vietnam has no direct flights to Copenhagen, therefore, travelers must rely on international carriers and transit through major airports in the Middle East, East Asia, or Europe.

The new Ho Chi Minh City–Copenhagen route is expected to significantly enhance connectivity between Vietnam and Northern Europe, boosting tourism and investment flows between the two regions. The Vietnam–Europe Tourism Promotion Program and the new flight route lay the groundwork for deeper collaboration in aviation and tourism, aligned with Vietnam Airlines’ market-expansion strategy for 2025 - 2030.

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