Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez witness the exchange of the Framework Protocol on Financial Cooperation between the two governments. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez left HCM City on Friday afternoon, wrapping up his three-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính.

During his stay in Việt Nam, PM Sánchez paid tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum, and laid a wreath at the Monument to War Heroes and Martyrs on Bắc Sơn Street in Hà Nội.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and President Lương Cường hosted receptions for PM Sánchez. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính presided over a welcome ceremony, hold talks and a joint press conference, and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents between the two countries, as well as hosted a banquet in honour of PM Sánchez. National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn had a meeting with the Spanish guest.

At the meetings and talks, the Vietnamese leaders welcomed the visit by PM Sánchez and a high-level delegation of Spain, saying this marks the first trip to Việt Nam by a head of the Spanish government since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in 1977.

They expressed confidence that the visit will open a new phase of development, elevating the Việt Nam-Spain strategic partnership to a new height.

The Spanish PM affirmed that Việt Nam is one of Spain's top priority partners in Southeast Asia, and agreed on the need to elevate the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

To unlock the two countries' potential and strength and further deepen the bilateral relations, both sides agreed to increase high-level visits and contacts, and expand cooperation in defence and security, especially in training Vietnamese officers, defence industry, UN peacekeeping operations, settlement of war consequences, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, and combatting transnational crime and illegal migration.

They consented to effectively implement and capitalise on opportunities of the EU-Việt NamFree Trade Agreement (EVFTA), further deepen cooperation in defence -security, culture, sports, and tourism, locality-to-locality collaboration, people-to-people exchanges, education and training, especially in high-quality human resources training in such fields as tourism, semiconductor industry, and science and technology.

The Vietnamese leaders thanked the Spanish PM for urging remaining EU member states to soon ratify the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and prompt the European Commission to remove its IUU yellow-card warning on Vietnamese seafood exports.

During the visit, both sides issued a joint statement on the outcomes of PM Pedro Sánchez's official visit to Việt Nam.

As part of the visit, PM Sánchez and the Spanish delegation also visited and had working sessions in HCM City. — VNS