Spanish ambassador to Việt Nam Pilar Mendez Jimenez wrote to Việt Nam News to celebrate the National Day of Spain

This is a very special “National Day of Spain” as we celebrate it during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. This is the fifth time Spain holds this position since it became a member state back in 1986. Thirty seven yeas later, Spain is the fourth-biggest economy in the EU and the 14th in the world. Globally, Spain ranks 11th lowest CO2 emissions per capita country: on the 16th of May, 2023, all our electricity needs were met solely with renewable energies. Spain is a living example of the transformative power of the European project. A transformative power we are willing to share with the world is why our motto for this Presidency being “Europe, closer”.

Europe, Spain and Việt Nam during the 20th century shared the devastating experiences of war on our territories and between our peoples. The three of us also found the same magic formula to avert that risk from happening again: rules based multilateralism and trade on a level playing field. These elements have brought about the longest and most prosperous time of European and Spanish history, the same positive results Việt Nam is also experiencing.

Our European Open Strategic Autonomy, a priority of the Spanish presidency, reflects our wish to share this positive paradigm of common success also with our partners around the world. To that end, the respect of the United Nations Charter and its fundamental principles are indispensable, be that in Europe or in the Indo-Pacific.

With the EVFTA, we wished for Việt Nam to be in the avant-garde of the EU's trade policy. Spain, having already ratified the EVIPA, wishes this strengthened path of co-operation to keep unfolding.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang (sixth from the right) and a delegation of Việt Nam hosted by the President of Congress of Deputies of Spain, H.E. Ms. Meritxell Batet in Madrid in February 2023. — Photo courtesy of the embassy

Spain, closer to Việt Nam. In this vein, this year we were honored to welcome in Spain H.E. Trần Lưu Quang, Deputy Prime Minister, and H.E. Trần Thanh Mẫn, Vice President Permanent of the National Assembly. We were very pleased to welcome Deputy Prime Minister Quang in the biggest hydrogen plant in the EU located in Puertollano, Ciudad Real. Morever, last month, H.E. Lê Minh Hoan, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, also visited Spain's Center for Tracking Fishing Ships, because the international food supply chain is a public good we should strengthen and protect. In addition, last May, we also welcomed Deputy Minister of Transport H.E. Nguyễn Danh Huy with whom we shared the geographical integration experience of our diverse nation through cutting-edge transport infrastructure, as Spain has the second largest high-speed rail network in the world.

In 2023, we have seen the Spanish Chamber of Commerce start operating in Việt Nam. On our National Day, while we hold the traditional diplomatic reception in Hà Nội, we are proud to witness the Spanish Chamber holding its first “Fiesta: a Spanish National Festival“ in HCM City. In this event, which is open to the public, our business community is showcasing and bringing closer to Việt Nam Spanish gastronomy, design, technology, culture and the Spanish language, shared by more than 580 million people in the world. A global language, which finds increasing demand in Việt Nam, thanks to the joint efforts of the Iberoamerican community.

2023 is also the year when the Spanish Female Football National Selection Team became World Champions. Our female champions are truly going “beyond greatness”. Spain proudly upholds a Feminist Foreign Policy and now we all understand why we need it, why the world needs it: we have come a long way, but there is still a long way ahead. Many talk about the “Twin Transitions”, but in reality we are all giving birth to “triplets”, because the World's Socio-economic, Environmental and Digital Transitions, to unlock their full potential, must come hand in hand with the Global Feminist Transition and only those who have the courage to embrace the later will rise and lead the world of the 21st century.

In European mythology, the phoenix symbolises the power to reconstruct oneself from one's ashes. In the Vietnamese tradition, seeing this same animal was considered an auspicious sign of a time of prosperity approaching soon. Wisely, the Vietnamese mythological phoenix is also a representation of the feminine yin power. Europe, Spain and Việt Nam aligning themselves in this triple global transition could contribute to avert the fires of the past to re-ignite and protect global peace and stability for many years to come. To the long lasting friendship between Europe, Spain and Việt Nam, feliz 12 de octubre a todos los españoles en Vietnam y feliz Día de la Hispanidad.