Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Finnish President Alexander Stubb on October 21 witnessed the signing of a MoU between Vietnamese Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, focuses on supporting the preparation and rollout of projects funded by Finland’s Public Sector Investment Facility. — VNA/VNS Photo

HELSINKI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Tô Lâm and Finnish President Alexander Stubb witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral cooperation in Helsinki on Tuesday afternoon (local time).

The documents include a MoU on bilateral cooperation in environment, biodiversity, and climate change adaptation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Another MoU, inked between the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, focuses on supporting the preparation and rollout of projects funded by Finland’s Public Sector Investment Facility. Another MoU was signed between the MoF and Finland’s Export Credit Agency.

Finland and Việt Nam officially established diplomatic ties on January 25, 1973. Finland opened its embassy in Hà Nội in 1974, while Việt Nam set up its embassy in Helsinki in late 2005. Since then, the two countries have nurtured a close-knit traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation.

During some of Việt Nam's most challenging times, Finland was a pioneer in providing development aid, supporting critical projects on clean water and water supply systems in Hà Nội and Hải Phòng.

The ongoing official visit by General Secretary Lâm and his entourage comes on the heels of the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023, a milestone marking a durable partnership and the start of a new phase of cooperation for the next half century.

The visit offers both sides an important opportunity to review the past achievements, set future strategic directions, and inject fresh momentum into elevating their traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation to new heights. — VNA/VNS