Opening up new chapter in Viet Nam–Finland relations
VGP - Building on a solid foundation of traditional friendship and abundant cooperation potential, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang expressed her belief that the General Secretary To Lam's upcoming visit to Finland will open up a new chapter and create breakthrough progress in bilateral relations.
Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang
Le made the remarks in an interview with the press ahead of the first official visit to Finland by a Vietnamese Party General Secretary since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973.
The visit, cheduled for October 20–22, carries a message of sincere affection and deep regard from the Party, State, and people of Viet Nam toward Finland — a nation that actively supported Viet Nam's past struggle for national defense as well as its ongoing national construction and development process.
For decades, Finland has been an important development cooperation partner for Viet Nam, focusing on key areas such as water supply and sanitation, poverty reduction, climate change response, and forestry. These projects have made significant contributions to Viet Nam's socio-economic growth.
The visit is expected to open up opportunities for broader and more comprehensive cooperation across various fields, particularly in potential sectors such as the digital economy, green economy, circular economy, science and technology, maritime affairs, renewable energy, and high-tech agriculture — all of which are priorities for Viet Nam and areas where Finland has notable strengths and experience.
On the international front, the trip will help Viet Nam strengthen ties with the Nordic region and enhance its role as a bridge connecting Finland with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as the European Union (EU) with ASEAN. This will contribute to fostering regional connectivity in a rapidly changing world that demands joint efforts and coordinated responses to shared challenges, the deputy minister noted.
Two-way trade between the two countries has seen steady growth in recent years, reaching US$422.5 million in 2024 and US$279 million in the first nine months of 2025.
Education and training cooperation has also flourished, with 18 memoranda of understanding signed between Vietnamese and Finnish universities. Nearly 2,500 Vietnamese students are currently studying in Finland in fields such as economics, information technology, and tourism.
Other areas of collaboration — including science and technology, culture and sports, tourism, and labor — have also progressed positively. Meanwhile, emerging areas such as the circular economy, high-tech agriculture, green transition, and renewable energy promise to form new cooperation frameworks that align with the potential and development priorities of both sides, the deputy minister said./.
