Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and the Vietnamese delegation hold talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and the Finnish delegation on Tuesday morning (local time). — VNA/VNS Photo

HELSINKI — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm affirmed that Việt Nam always welcomes and facilitates Finnish enterprises investing in the country and stands ready to work with Finland as a bridge linking the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He said this would help further advance Việt Nam's ties with the EU and also enhance Finland's cooperation with ASEAN in the future.

He was speaking on Tuesday morning (local time) during talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, as part of the Party leader's official visit to Finland from October 20 to 22 at the invitation of the Finnish President. The talks took place immediately after the welcome ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki.

President Stubb said he highly valued this first official visit by a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam to Finland since the establishment of diplomatic relations, affirming that Finland always attaches importance to its ties with Việt Nam, its most important trading partner in Southeast Asia.

He expressed admiration for Việt Nam’s socio-economic development achievements in recent years, describing Việt Nam as a success story, and voiced his hope that the visit would open up new, substantive cooperation opportunities in a range of promising areas.

For his part, General Secretary Lâm reaffirmed that Việt Nam treasures its traditional friendship with Finland, recalling Finland’s valuable support during the country’s post-war reconstruction and development. He expressed hope that Finland would continue to be a trusted partner and companion in Việt Nam’s new era of development.

During their talks, the two leaders briefed each other on recent developments in their respective countries and exchanged strategic orientations to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

They agreed to enhance cooperation in multiple fields, particularly those with strong potential such as the circular economy, green transition, sustainable maritime cooperation, digital transformation, environmental protection and climate change response.

Both sides agreed to make full use of the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), facilitating business connections, trade promotion and market access, especially in agricultural products and consumer goods.

General Secretary Tô Lâm called on Finland to encourage the remaining seven EU member states to soon ratify the EU–Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to help urge the European Commission (EC) to lift the yellow card warning against Việt Nam’s seafood exports under the IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing) mechanism.

He also urged Finland to encourage its enterprises to increase investment in Việt Nam, particularly in areas where Finland has strengths, including green technology, processing technology, energy transition and logistics services.

President Stubb affirmed Finland’s readiness to cooperate with Việt Nam in sectors of mutual interest and strength, such as the circular economy, forestry, science and technology, education and training and climate change adaptation.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. — VNA/VNS Photo

Responding to the Finnish President’s recognition of the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Finland, General Secretary Lâm expressed hope that the Finnish Government would continue to support and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate and contribute effectively to local society, serving as an important bridge fostering friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

Discussing regional and international issues, including matters of regional security, the two leaders emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and stability, supporting the peaceful settlement of disputes based on respect for international law, and calling for restraint and an end to conflicts.

Regarding the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue, both sides voiced support for ASEAN’s common stance on ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, and on resolving disputes through peaceful means in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), thereby contributing to regional and global peace and stability.

On this occasion, Việt Nam and Finland issued a joint statement on officially upgrading their bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. The statement highlights the important achievements of bilateral cooperation, reaffirms shared principles, and outlines key directions to further strengthen and deepen the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries. — VNS

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. — VNA/VNS Photo