Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has spotlighted the significance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s upcoming trip from June 5-14, which includes attendance at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) and bilateral activities in France, and official visits to Estonia and Sweden.
Hang told the press that the trip underscores Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism, diversification, proactive and effective global integration, as outlined at the 13th National Party Congress.
This will be PM Chinh’s first visit to France since the two nations upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024, the first visit to Sweden by a Vietnamese PM in six years, and the first by a key Vietnamese leader to Estonia since diplomatic relations began in 1992.
According to her, the trip will convey a clear message of peace, stability, cooperation, and development. In France, the PM’s meetings will concretise major orientations in the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and the joint statement made during President Macron’s state visit to Vietnam in May 2025, opening a new chapter in their all-around cooperation.
In Sweden and Estonia, PM Chinh and leaders will review progress and set new priorities to achieve breakthroughs in substantive and effective cooperation. The trip will also look toward broader ties with the EU, while contributing to bolstering ASEAN–EU cooperation and enhancing coordination in addressing regional and global issues, for peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development in each region and the world at large.
The trip is also an opportunity to show Vietnam’s development aspirations and attract international resources for national goals in the new era. France is strong in telecommunications, aerospace, renewable energy, and high-speed rail. Estonia has led in digital transformation and e-government since joining the EU in 2004, while Sweden excels in science, technology, innovation, information and communication technology (ICT), environment, and green economy. These sectors, Hang noted, align with Vietnam’s modernisation goals.
At UNOC 3 in France, themed “Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean," Chinh will position Vietnam as a reliable, active and responsible partner committed to a shared, sustainable future. His keynote speech will underline ASEAN’s consistent stance on upholding multilateralism and international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while outlining Vietnam’s drastic efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals on conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources.
The Vietnamese PM will also co-chair a summit on delta regions with the Presidents of Colombia and Iraq and engage in ocean-related economic activities in Monaco at the invitation of its government.
Reflecting on Vietnam’s ties with the above countries, Hang noted that France became the first EU member to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam in October 2024. Following President Macron’s visit in May 2025, political trust has deepened. France is Vietnam’s fifth largest trade partner, second largest investor, and top development aid provider in the EU, with bilateral trade reaching 5.42 billion USD in 2024, up 42% over the past decade. Over 350 French companies are operating in Vietnam.
The two nations are expanding cooperation across aerospace, energy transition, infrastructure, satellites, and nuclear energy, alongside vibrant cultural, educational, and healthcare exchanges. They share common views on global and multilateral issues and support each other at international organisations.
Sweden, the largest Northwestern European supplier of non-refundable aid to Vietnam, has contributed over 3 billion USD since 1967, focusing on healthcare, economic reform, institutional building, and administrative reform. Two-way trade has seen sustained growth, reaching 1.48 billion USD in 2024. Sweden currently ranks 29th out of 149 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 111 valid projects totaling over 743 million USD, mainly in manufacturing, processing, and ICT.
Meanwhile, Estonia has supported Vietnam’s integration into the EU through the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and was among the first to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). While two-way trade remains modest, it is growing steadily, with both sides leveraging EVFTA to expand market access, Hang added./.
