Hanoi (VNA) – After more than three decades of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Slovenia still hold considerable potential to elevate bilateral ties and expand cooperation in areas of shared interest, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia Vu Le Thai Hoang during a meeting with Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tone Kajzer.
The event in Ljubljana on October 8 aimed at advancing cooperation priorities agreed by the two countries’ foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
Hoang congratulated Kajzer on his appointment and Slovenia on completing its term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
He called on Slovenia to ratify the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) at an early date and support the European Union’s removal of the "yellow card" warning imposed on Vietnamese seafood over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The ambassador also proposed strengthening connectivity between Slovenia’s Port of Koper and Vietnamese seaports, while promoting business and local-level partnerships.
Kajzer, who took office in June 2026 under Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s government, welcomed the outcome of his talks with Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung in New York.
Stressing the need to translate bilateral agreements into concrete cooperation programmes, he affirmed that Slovenia views Vietnam as an important partner in Southeast Asia, and commended its economic achievements and growing international standing.
The two sides agreed to promote economic, trade and investment links, focusing on promising fields such as science – technology, artificial intelligence, innovation, biotechnology, green energy, nuclear power and logistics.
Labour and vocational training cooperation, particularly in healthcare, nursing and elderly care, also featured prominently in the discussions.
Kajzer expressed interest in the effective cooperation models for training Vietnamese workers that have been implemented in other European countries, including Germany and Austria, and agreed to explore the possibility of applying similar programmes in Slovenia.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen coordination at multilateral forums, uphold international law and multilateralism, and support the role of the United Nations. They discussed promoting ASEAN–EU cooperation and the exchange of views on maritime issues, ocean affairs and freedom of navigation in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.
