Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda during the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s 15th annual meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China, on June 25, 2024. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s official visit to Poland from January 16-18 at the invitation of his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk is expected to help bolster the traditional friendship and all-round cooperation between Việt Nam and the European country, making it deeper and more effective.

The visit takes place amid the Việt Nam - Poland relations growing strongly, and the two sides are celebrating their 75-year diplomatic ties.

75 years of sound relations

Việt Nam and Poland established their diplomatic relations on February 4, 1950. Over the past 75 years, their ties have developed across various fields, including politics, economy, culture, science, and education. The people of Việt Nam greatly appreciate the enthusiastic support and valuable assistance provided by the Polish Government and people, during both Việt Nam's past struggle for national liberation and the current process of national development.

From the 1960s to the 1990s, Poland helped train more than 4,000 Vietnamese students and scientists, as well as over 3,500 skilled workers, mainly in the coal and shipbuilding industries.

As part of its open-door foreign policy towards Asia, Poland has attached great importance to Việt Nam's role and position, emphasising that Việt Nam is a priority partner in Southeast Asia.

Mutual visits at all levels have been maintained between the two countries. Most recently, during the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s 15th annual meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China, PM Chính had a meeting with President Andrzej Duda on June 25, 2024. Both leaders agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a new height in the near future.

PM Chính affirmed Việt Nam’s strong commitment to developing its traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Poland, expressing deep gratitude for Poland’s invaluable support for Việt Nam’s national safeguarding and development. He especially thanked Poland for its solidarity with and assistance for the Vietnamese community there following the tragic fire at a shopping centre in May 2024.

PM Chính asked both countries to continue strengthening ties through high-level exchanges, particularly through Party delegations' visits, and promote economic, trade, investment, and cultural and people-to-people links. He also affirmed that Việt Nam will facilitate the import of Poland's strong goods such as machinery and ships.

President Duda, in turn, noted he was impressed with Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements and highlighted that Việt Nam is the largest partner of his country in Southeast Asia. He also praised the contributions by the Vietnamese community in Poland. The President expressed his hope that Việt Nam will facilitate the import of Polish goods and enhance cooperation in new sectors such as renewable energy and tourism.

Cooperation between the two countries' legislative bodies has also been growing continually. Việt Nam’s 15th National Assembly has established a Việt Nam - Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group, while Poland has created corresponding groups in both the Senate and the Sejm.

At multilateral platforms, the countries will collaborated closely at forums such as the United Nations, and support ASEAN's relations with Poland and the European Union (EU). They also plan to organise cultural and artistic exchanges in each country in 2025 to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations.

Economic, trade cooperation – a priority

Việt Nam is now Poland’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, and Poland is Việt Nam’s leading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Bilateral trade has grown steadily in recent years, topping US$2.11 billion in 2020, $2.57 billion in 2021, $2.56 billion in 2022, $2.82 billion in 2023, and $3.43 billion in 2024.

Việt Nam’s main exports to Poland include computers, electronics, machinery, apparel, seafood, rice, coffee, pepper, sweets, and agricultural products. Meanwhile, it imports from Poland powder milk, pharmaceuticals, equipment for the coal industry, shipbuilding supplies, and scrap metal.

Poland has ratified the EU - Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) but has yet to approve the EU - Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). Therefore, at recent meetings, Việt Nam has continually called on Poland expedite the ratification of the EVIPA and encourage the European Commission to lift the "yellow card" (IUU) warning against Việt Namese aquatic exports.

As of November 2024, Poland had invested in 33 projects in Việt Nam, with a total registered capital of $473.82 million, ranking 34th out of 147 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam.

During the bilateral political consultation at the deputy foreign minister level on May 30, 2024, both sides agreed to actively implement the consultation mechanism for economic cooperation between Việt Nam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Poland’s Ministry of Development and Technology. They also discussed the establishment of an intergovernmental committee on economic cooperation while agreeing to continue to effectively implement the EVFTA, facilitate exports to each other's markets, and encourage Polish firms to boost investment in Việt Nam, especially in the fields matching Poland's strength and Việt Nam's demand.

Secretary of State at the Polish Foreign Ministry Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, during his December 2024 visit to Việt Nam, highlighted Polish businesses’ interest in developing the energy sector, including the coal industry, as well as green technologies and digital technologies. These are sectors on which Việt Nam is also focusing, offering new directions for future cooperation.

In terms of development cooperation, Poland has committed a mixed credit line of $280 million to Việt Nam. Notably, in 2008, the two sides signed a credit agreement for a project on a vessel model testing laboratory valued at 16.47 million EUR (about $20 million) in ODA funding. During President Duda’s 2017 visit, Poland and Việt Nam signed a financial agreement worth 250 million EUR.

In particular, Poland was one of the first EU countries to assist Việt Nam during the COVID-19 pandemic, donating 1.4 million vaccine doses and 8 tonnes of medical supplies valued at $4 million.

Cooperation in other fields such as defence, security, education, agriculture, culture, and labour has also continued to progress. From 1960s to early 1990s, Poland helped Việt Nam train over 4,000 students and scientists, as well as more than 3,500 skilled workers, mainly in coal mining and shipbuilding. In 2017, the two sides signed a new education deal, agreeing to provide 20 scholarships annually and to receive 20 Polish students for internships in Việt Nam.

The Vietnamese community in Poland, numbering around 25,000, are known for their solidarity, dedication to the homeland, and their valuable contributions to both Poland and bilateral relations.

Given the strong foundations over the past 75 years, PM Chính’s official visit to Poland, accompanied by his spouse and a high-ranking delegation, is of great significance. It is expected to create a breakthrough in bilateral relations, thus further enhancing Việt Nam’s ties with Central and Eastern Europe. — VNA/VNS