President of the European Council António Costa with Vietnamese President Lương Cường. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — President of the European Council António Costa departed Hà Nội late on Thursday, concluding his two-day official visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of State President Lương Cường.

While in Việt Nam, the EC President paid tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum and laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs on Bắc Sơn Street in Hà Nội.

EC President Costa met with Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, attended an official welcome ceremony and held talks with President Cường, followed by a joint press meeting and an official banquet. He also had meetings with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn.

On this occasion, the two sides issued a joint statement on the elevation of Việt Nam-EU relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, underscoring that the new partnership will advance ties to a new level bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally.

Within the new framework, the two sides will continue to deepen cooperation across various areas to deliver tangible benefits and contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in both regions and globally, in line with existing agreements.

At the talks and meetings, Vietnamese leaders said the EC President’s visit came at a particularly meaningful time, shortly after Việt Nam successfully held the 14th National Party Congress, and marked a milestone in Việt Nam–EU relations with the upgrade of relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, reflecting the two sides’ long-term vision in a new phase.

The two sides shared the view that after 35 years of diplomatic relations, Việt Nam–EU ties have developed positively across multiple fields, particularly in politics-diplomacy, trade, investment, defence and security, climate change response and agriculture, while noting there remains significant potential to be further tapped. They also held in-depth and substantive discussions on orientations and measures to implement the Việt Nam–EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as well as on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

During his stay, EC President Costa toured the Temple of Literature – Việt Nam’s first university and a symbol of the country’s tradition of learning – and visited the underground section of Hà Nội ’s Metro Line 3 project. — VNA/VNS