Vietnam, Poland consider elevating ties to strategic partnership
Vietnam, Poland consider elevating ties to strategic partnership
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk have agreed to consider elevating their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership and strive to increase two-way trade to US$5 billion in the near future.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk embrace each other at a press conference following their discussion in Warsaw, Poland, January 16, 2025. Photo: Doan Bac |
The consensus was reached during their talks held in Warsaw on Thursday as part of PM Chinh’s official visit to Poland at PM Tusk’s invitation.
PM Tusk welcomed Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation – Poland’s first official international visitors in 2025.
Tusk emphasized the visit’s importance as it sets the tone for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
PM Chinh praised Poland’s socio-economic achievements, including becoming the world’s 20th-largest economy.
He expressed confidence in Poland’s continued development and congratulated the country on assuming the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Vietnam values its friendship with Poland, one of its leading partners in Central Europe, and is eager to further enhance bilateral ties, according to Chinh.
Both leaders underscored the importance of economic collaboration, committing to increase two-way trade turnover to US$5 billion in the near future.
Poland is now Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Central Europe.
Trade between the two countries has steadily grown, surpassing $2.5 billion annually since 2020 and reaching $3.4 billion in 2024, up 21.7 percent year on year, according to official figures.
The two leaders emphasized connecting their economies through both soft and hard infrastructure.
The Polish PM, recognizing Vietnam’s development potential in the Asia-Pacific region, expressed interest in expanding investment and trade in Vietnam.
Building on the successful cooperation achieved in recent years, both officials agreed to explore the possibility of elevating the relationship between their nations to a strategic partnership in the coming time.
The leaders concurred to enhance collaboration in defense, security, cybersecurity, and combating transnational crime.
They also pledged to strengthen ties in education and labor, particularly in areas such as digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, and semiconductor production.
Education cooperation between the two countries will be bolstered through the implementation of a higher education agreement signed during the visit.
Meanwhile, Vietnam announced a visa exemption for Polish citizens in 2025 to encourage people-to-people exchanges and boost tourism.
Both nations were committed to celebrating their 75th diplomatic anniversary this year through joint activities and initiatives.
Vietnam and Poland vowed to support each other in multilateral forums like the United Nations and ASEAN-EU frameworks. Poland pledged to expedite the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement.
PM Tusk promised to advocate for lifting the European Commission’s illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing ‘yellow card’ warning on Vietnamese seafood exports.
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| An overview of the discussion between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk, along with officials of both sides, in Warsaw, Poland, January 16, 2025. Photo: Doan Bac |
The two sides also agreed to collaborate in emerging fields such as renewable energy, digital technology, information technology, agriculture, and labor. They pledged to serve as gateways for each other’s goods to ASEAN and EU markets.
PM Chinh urged Poland to support ASEAN’s stance on the East Vietnam Sea issue, emphasizing peaceful dispute resolution based on the UN Charter and international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He proposed that the Polish government continue to facilitate the integration of the Vietnamese community in Poland into the local society, enabling them to contribute positively to Poland's development as well as the traditional friendship between the two countries.
This includes the early recognition of the Vietnamese community in Poland as an official ethnic minority.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close cooperation in international forums to ensure peace, security, and prosperity.
During the meeting, PM Chinh conveyed Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong's invitation to President Andrzej Duda to visit Vietnam again soon.
Following their discussion, the two PMs witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements related to diplomacy, labor, and other areas.
They also held a joint press conference to share the outcomes of their discussions.
