Helsinki (VNA) – Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly were welcomed at a ceremony hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and his spouse at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on October 21 morning (local time).
Their ongoing official visit is made at the invitation of President Stubb.
Following the welcome ceremony, President Stubb and his spouse invited General Secretary Lam and his spouse to the signing room, where the Vietnamese leader left a message in the guestbook, expressing his delight at visiting Finland, a nation known for its creativity, cultural richness, and compassion.
Vietnam highly values its longstanding partnership with Finland, he stressed, believing that this visit will open up a new chapter of bilateral relations, contributing to peace, stability, and development in the regions and the world.
Later, President Stubb and General Secretary Lam led high-ranking delegations of both countries into talks.
This marks the highest-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to Finland, underscoring Hanoi’s deep regard for its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the Nordic nation.
Bilateral trade has seen steady growth in recent years. Meanwhile, educational ties have expanded, with nearly 20 Vietnamese universities collaborating with Finnish establishments, and over 2,500 Vietnamese students enrolled in Finland, studying economics, information technology, and tourism, among others
Science – technology remains a promising cooperation area, with multiple memoranda of understanding signed since 1995. Since their diplomatic ties began, Finland has continuously provided unconditional grant aid for Vietnam, focusing on water resources management, poverty reduction, climate change adaptation, and forestry. Both sides are pushing forward with collaboration in energy, a long-term priority area that includes renewable energy development, rollout of projects in disadvantaged areas, and legal framework building.
Cultural, sports, and tourism exchanges have flourished, with events in visual arts, music, and literature fostering ties. People-to-people exchanges, facilitated by friendship associations in both countries, have also helped raise mutual understanding of each other’s cultures and traditions.
The visit provides an important opportunity for the two countries to review past achievements, chart new paths, and inject fresh momentum into elevating the traditional friendship and multifaceted partnership to new heights./.
