Hanoi (VNA) – Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Duc Hai’s upcoming official visit to Greece is crucial in reinforcing political trust between Vietnam and Greece, and demonstrates both sides' commitment to strengthening the bilateral ties, especially through the parliamentary channel, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong.
The ambassador noted that the visit, lasting from September 30 to October 3, is to take place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It also aims to implement recent high-level agreements, most notably the meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the third UN Ocean Conference in June 2025.
During the visit, Hai is scheduled to hold talks with First Vice President of the Parliament Ioannis Plakiotakis; meet with Vice President of Greece Kostis Hatzidakis; work with the Greece–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, led by Chairwoman Makrh Zoh Zetta; and hold meetings with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece and members of the Vietnamese community in Greece, including the family of Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Van Lap (Kostas Sarantidis).
At a recent ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Greece diplomatic relations, Plakiotakis highlighted Lap and his family as symbols of the profound ties between the two nations. He expressed confidence that this visit will deepen parliamentary links and overall cooperation.
Coinciding with the visit, the Vietnamese Embassy and New Star Art will launch the Greek translation of "Selected Articles by President Ho Chi Minh (1920–1969), Volume 1, translated from English under licence from the The Gioi Publishers, as part of Vietnam’s external information efforts.
Huong emphasised the warm mutual affection between the people of the two countries, underpinned by shared values such as a commitment to peace, respect for international law, particularly the UN Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and pride in cultural and historical heritage.
Greece has consistently supported Vietnam, from the anti-American resistance to the COVID-19 pandemic response and socio-economic development. It was among the first EU nations to ratify the EU–Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), and has approved both the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). Greece also backed Vietnam’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023–2025 tenure and recently supported UNESCO recognition for Vietnam’s Yen Tu–Vinh Nghiem–Con Son, Kiep Bac cultural complex.
While trade volume remains modest, reaching nearly 350 million USD in the first seven months of 2025, it rose over 12% year-on-year and shows steady growth. Cooperation potential remains high, especially in areas such as maritime transport, industrial and agricultural products, high-tech, innovation, labour, tourism, education, and publishing. Greece has also expressed readiness to serve as a bridge for Vietnam’s engagement with the EU, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Conversely, Vietnam is committed to facilitating Greece’s ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
According to the diplomat, the visit highlights the growing role of parliamentary diplomacy in elevating the bilateral relationship. Ahead of the visit, the 15th NA’s Standing Committee approved the establishment of the Vietnam–Greece Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, led by Pham Dinh Toan who will accompany the Vice NA Chairman during this visit, demonstrating Vietnam’s commitment to deepening inter-parliamentary ties. The aim is to establish a formal partnership between the friendship parliamentarians’ groups of the two countries, facilitating regular exchanges, legislative collaboration, digital transformation in parliamentary activities, and other practical initiatives.
Furthermore, the two sides are expected to enhance cooperation at multilateral forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP), contributing to regional peace, security, and joint responses to non-traditional threats like climate change and cybersecurity. These efforts not only strengthen the two legislative bodies’ ties but also bring tangible benefits to the people of both nations and lay a solid foundation for long-term cooperation between Vietnam and Greece, the ambassador concluded./.
