Polish Ambassador to Việt Nam Joanna Skoczek. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s upcoming official visit to Việt Nam is expected to strengthen bilateral relations and open up new opportunities for cooperation in trade, education, digital transformation, green technology and cultural exchanges, Polish Ambassador to Việt Nam Joanna Skoczek has said.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency ahead of PM Tusk’s visit from October 24–26 at the invitation of Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, Skoczek said the two countries had a strong foundation of friendship and were now seeking to translate that into more practical and sustainable cooperation.

The visit comes 16 years after Tusk’s first trip to Việt Nam as Prime Minister of Poland and nearly two years after then-Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính visited Warsaw.

Then-Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (left) and then-President of Poland Andrzej Duda in 2025. — VNA/VNS Photo

Skoczek said the visit would help identify areas with the greatest potential for cooperation, including education, trade, culture, people-to-people exchanges and coordination at international forums.

Several important documents are also expected to be signed to strengthen the legal framework for bilateral cooperation. The meetings between the two countries' leaders will focus on economic ties and provide an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on regional and global developments, she said.

Bilateral trade has grown steadily, exceeding US$8 billion in 2025, according to Polish statistics cited by the ambassador. Both sides want to expand trade and services while encouraging faster growth in Polish exports to the Vietnamese market.

The ambassador added that Poland is looking to increase its exports of higher-value products that meet the needs of Việt Nam’s rapidly developing market.

During PM Tusk’s visit, the two sides are expected to discuss business opportunities in pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, the defence industry, dual-use technologies and space cooperation.

She said Polish businesses are expanding their presence at major trade fairs in Hà Nội and HCM City, showcasing products in food and beverages, information and communications technology, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and mining. Skoczek added that existing partnerships in these sectors should be developed further.

Beyond trade in goods, Poland can offer Việt Nam technologies and services in green and circular economy development.

A recent Polish business delegation brought companies working in these fields to Việt Nam to introduce their products, services and technologies to Vietnamese partners under a programme called Green Evi. Potential areas of cooperation include water and waste treatment, circular economy, soil reclamation and environmental protection.

Poland has undergone a major economic transformation over the past 35 years and has adapted to the European Union’s environmental standards. Skoczek said its experience could be shared with Việt Nam as the country pursues sustainable development and seeks to address the growing impacts of climate change.

According to the diplomat, digital transformation is another area where the two countries can learn from each other.

Both began with relatively limited technological capacity but have made significant progress in digitalisation in recent years. Poland has developed digital public administration and online services for businesses and citizens, offering experience that could be useful to Việt Nam.

Poland also has strengths in cybersecurity and the protection of banking transactions and personal data. As governments and businesses provide more services online, protecting information from cyberattacks is essential to building public trust and encouraging wider use of digital services.

Electronic healthcare offers further opportunities for cooperation, the diplomat suggested. 

The ambassador described education, culture and people-to-people exchanges as important foundations for closer and more sustainable relations.

Mentioning the Vietnamese community in Poland, she said it is one of the country’s largest and best-integrated immigrant communities. Now in its third generation, it has established many businesses while making efforts to preserve the Vietnamese language, traditions and cultural heritage.

Skoczek also praised the community’s contribution to Polish society, saying people who understand the languages, cultures and traditions of both countries could play an important role in strengthening mutual understanding.

She sees considerable room for further cooperation in education and culture, particularly in training young people who can connect the two societies.

Nearly 130 Polish books have been translated into Vietnamese, she said. However, many translations were completed by older translators, making it important to encourage more young people to translate Polish literature for Vietnamese readers. She also hopes to see more Vietnamese books translated into Polish.

Poland offers scholarship programmes and educational opportunities for Vietnamese students and Polish citizens of Vietnamese origin. Việt Nam has also been selected as one of four priority countries by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, giving greater attention to educational and scientific cooperation.

The ambassador said these exchanges could benefit young people and strengthen links in business, tourism, education and research.

Tourism between the two countries is also growing. Skoczek expressed her hope that more Vietnamese people would visit Poland, just as Polish visitors continue to receive a warm welcome in Việt Nam.

She said the two countries already had a favourable foundation for cooperation, but the next step was to turn their longstanding friendship into concrete projects with lasting benefits.

She said Tusk’s visit would provide an opportunity to advance cooperation on the basis of the two countries’ longstanding friendship and shared interests.

The ambassador expressed hope that the visit would lead to practical initiatives and encourage more Polish businesses and visitors to come to Việt Nam to explore opportunities for cooperation. — VNA/VNS