Vietnamese President Lương Cường (right) and European Council President António Costa. — VNA/VNS Photos Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese President Lương Cường and European Council President António Costa on Thursday confirmed the formal upgrade of Việt Nam–European Union relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership after holding official talks during President Costa’s visit to Việt Nam, marking a new chapter in bilateral ties.

At the press conference held following their talks, President Cường said President Costa’s visit came at a significant moment, following Việt Nam’s successful organisation of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam.

He said the elevation of bilateral relations represented a milestone reflecting the shared long-term vision of Việt Nam and the EU as they enter a new stage of cooperation.

According to President Cường, the two leaders held frank and constructive discussions and agreed that over the 35 years since diplomatic relations were established, Việt Nam–EU cooperation has expanded steadily across a broad range of areas, including political and diplomatic engagement, trade, investment, defence, security, climate action and agriculture, while retaining considerable potential for further growth.

Reaffirming Việt Nam’s view of the EU as one of its leading global partners, President Cường said both sides held in-depth exchanges on orientations and measures to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as well as on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The two sides committed to strengthening political trust through enhanced high-level exchanges, more effective use of existing cooperation mechanisms, the development of new frameworks for collaboration and deeper sector-specific cooperation. They also agreed to coordinate closely in addressing global challenges, promoting multilateralism, upholding international law in line with the United Nations Charter and resolving disputes by peaceful means.

Vietnamese President Lương Cường.

Economic cooperation was identified as a central pillar of the partnership. Both sides pledged to maintain and reinforce free trade, facilitate market access and ensure the effective implementation of the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), while working towards the early ratification of the EU–Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Việt Nam called on the EU to strengthen cooperation in the marine economy, support efforts to develop sustainable fisheries and consider the early removal of the EU’s yellow card warning related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Vietnamese seafood exports.

President Cường welcomed increased investment by EU enterprises in priority areas such as green growth, digital transformation and energy transition, including through the effective implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). He also proposed elevating science, technology and innovation to a core pillar of bilateral cooperation, shifting from project-based collaboration to ecosystem-level cooperation aimed at sustainable development.

On regional and multilateral issues, he reaffirmed Việt Nam’s commitment to working with the EU to promote peace, stability, freedom of navigation and overflight and the rule of law in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He also underscored the importance of ASEAN unity and centrality, peaceful dispute settlement, the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the pursuit of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct (COC) consistent with international law.

President of the European Council António Costa.

For his part, European Council President António Costa expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to visit Việt Nam and congratulated the country on the successful conclusion of the 14th National Party Congress. He reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to strengthening and deepening its partnership with Việt Nam on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests.

President Costa said the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reflects both the current depth and breadth of cooperation and expectations for further development in key areas, including trade, green and digital transitions, security and people-to-people exchanges.

He noted that this marks the first Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the EU and a Southeast Asian country.

Highlighting economic cooperation, President Costa said the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement has delivered positive outcomes for both sides by promoting trade and economic integration. He added that significant opportunities remain to expand cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including clean energy, the marine economy, defence and security.

Against the backdrop of growing challenges to the international order, President Costa emphasised the importance of Việt Nam and the EU acting as reliable and responsible partners, enhancing coordination on global issues such as sustainable supply chains, climate action, digital transformation, maritime security, regional stability and cooperation within multilateral institutions. — VNS

Vietnamese President Lương Cường and European Council President António Costa during talks.