Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh starts official visit to Kuwait

Pham is accompanied by Politburo member, Standing member of the Document Subcommittee for the 14th National Party Congress Nguyen Van Nen, Secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Viet Nam Le Hoai Trung, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh, Minister of Culture, Sports and Touris, Nguyen Van hung, Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, Chief Inspector of the Government Inspectorate Doan Hong Phong, Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Ombudsman Duong Thanh Binh, Deputy Minister of National Defense Nguyen Van Gau, Deputy Minister of Public Security Pham The Tung, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Kuwait Tran Duc Thang.

Kuwait is the first leg of Prime Minister Pham's three-nation tour, which will also take him to Algeria and South Africa where he will attend the G20 Summit.

This is the first by a high-level Vietnamese leader to Kuwait in 16 years and it comes as the two countries prepare to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties in January 2026.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Kuwait Nguyen Duc Thang said the visit holds significant meaning both for bilateral cooperation and for Viet Nam's broader engagement with the Middle East. It follows the Prime Minister's 2024 tours to three Gulf nations, underlining Viet Nam's resolve to advance its foreign policy toward the region and to realize Resolution 59-NQ/TW on international integration in the new context. Through high-level exchanges, Viet Nam aims to reinforce friendly relations, strengthen political trust, expand markets, and unlock new cooperation potential with Kuwait.

As Kuwait is currently the Chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and placing greater emphasis on ties with Asian nations, including ASEAN members, the two sides are well positioned to contribute to ASEAN–GCC cooperation. Viet Nam also hopes Kuwait will help push forward negotiations toward a Viet Nam–GCC Free Trade Agreement starting in 2025.

During the visit, Prime Minister Pham is expected to meet with the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, hold talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart, and meet ministers and major business leaders. Both sides will review nearly five decades of cooperation, exchange views, and outline directions and practical measures to expand collaboration in the coming period. A key event will be the Prime Minister's policy speech at the Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, where he will highlight Viet Nam's socio-economic progress and its priorities for deepening long-term, multifaceted cooperation with Kuwait and the wider Middle East.

Kuwait is the top Middle Eastern investor in Viet Nam, most notably its US$3.5 billion contribution to the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex. Bilateral trade reached US$7.3 billion in 2024 and topped US$5 billion in the first nine months of 2025. Imports of Kuwaiti crude oil ensure a stable supply for the Nghi Son refinery, which supplies more than 35 percent of Viet Nam's domestic fuel demand. Meanwhile, Viet Nam's exports to Kuwait have become more diversified, ranging from agricultural and aquatic products to machinery, electronics, and wooden furniture.

Ambassador Nguyen said that the two countries can expand cooperation in oil, gas, and energy, including emerging areas such as renewable energy. Viet Nam has the potential to become a major oil storage and distribution hub in Southeast Asia, while both sides can partner in solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects by combining Kuwait's financial resources with Viet Nam's engineering capabilities./.