In his meeting with President Zelensky, General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed Vietnam's appreciation for the traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership with Ukraine.

Vietnam fondly remembers the support from the Soviet people, including Ukrainians, during its national liberation and reunification, as well as in its current development efforts.

President To Lam expressed concern over the ongoing conflict, urging an end to hostilities and the restoration of peace to ensure the safety of civilians and essential infrastructure.

Vietnam consistently advocates for all disputes to be resolved peacefully, in accordance with the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, including respect for independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and without the use of force or threats of force.

President To Lam welcomed and supported international mediation efforts to find a long-term peaceful resolution to the conflict, involving all relevant parties, in accordance with international law.

As an active and responsible member of the international community, Vietnam is ready to contribute to dialogues and solutions to stabilize the situation for regional and global peace and stability. He emphasized that Vietnam would be ready to assist in the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine once the conflict ends.

President Zelensky appreciated Vietnam’s stance and thanked the Vietnamese state and people for their humanitarian support. He expressed hope for Vietnam's support for the Peace Conference declaration in Switzerland and assistance in mine clearance and conflict resolution in Ukraine.

The two sides discussed the need to maintain and enhance bilateral cooperation through high-level contacts and exchanges, seeking effective measures to restore bilateral trade exchanges promptly.

In his meeting with EC President Ursula von der Leyen, Mr. To Lam congratulated her on her re-election for the term 2024-2029 and stressed the need to continue promoting exchanges and effective cooperation/dialogue mechanisms, welcoming the EU's active role in the Asia-Pacific region.

Vietnam is prepared to act as a bridge to enhance EU cooperation with countries in the region through the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership framework.

Nearly four years after the implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), trade between the two has surged, making Vietnam the EU's largest goods trading partner in ASEAN and the EU the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam. EU investment in Vietnam has also increased, making it the fifth-largest investor in the country.

Party Chief and President To Lam urged continued effective implementation of the EVFTA, prioritizing the resolution of market access issues for goods, including the early removal of the yellow card and continued support for Vietnam to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The leaders also discussed enhancing cooperation in defense, security, and combating transnational organized crime, particularly high-tech crime, and urged the EU to continue strengthening cooperation and support for Vietnam in environmental protection, climate change response, public administration, green and circular economic development.

President Ursula von der Leyen affirmed Vietnam as a key partner in the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy and proposed upgrading bilateral relations to deepen cooperation across all areas, more substantially and effectively.

The EU committed to closely coordinate with Vietnam to effectively implement agreements and existing exchange mechanisms to enhance cooperation in various sectors and address global challenges together.

Tran Thuong