Under-Secretary of State for International Trade at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jarno Syrjälä. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and Finland are promoting practical cooperation in strategic sectors such as green transition, digital transformation, telecommunications, smart infrastructure and green development following the establishment of Strategic Partnership in late 2025, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jarno Syrjälä has said.

Speaking in an interview with the press during his working visit to Việt Nam from May 28–29, Syrjälä highlighted the growing political trust, strong economic complementarity and expanding people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, describing the bilateral relations as entering “the best period ever.”

He stressed that the two countries are moving from “shared orientation to concrete action” following the establishment of the Việt Nam–Finland Strategic Partnership in late 2025.

According to Syrjälä, the newly established Strategic Partnership between Việt Nam and Finland is built on more than five decades of friendship and cooperation, grounded in mutual trust, equality and respect, towards deepening bilateral and multilateral relations for the benefit of the people of both countries.

He said the purpose of his visit was to further concretise and deepen the substantive content of the Strategic Partnership framework established by the two countries in October 2025.

During the trip, the Finnish delegation held meetings with key Vietnamese ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Public Security. The delegation also met with leading Vietnamese corporations such as Vingroup, Vietnam Maritime Corporation and Petrovietnam Power Corporation.

Discussions focused on strategic areas including sustainable energy development, strategic infrastructure, digitalisation, trusted telecommunications and smart urban development.

Syrjälä noted that the two sides also exchanged views on digital infrastructure security, including cooperation related to 5G and satellite technologies, reflecting what he described as “a comprehensive and long-term approach” to bilateral cooperation.

From policy dialogue to business connectivity and the identification of priority areas, this visit provides additional momentum for the two countries to move "from orientation to action", he said, adding that it marked an important step towards substantively advancing the Việt Nam–Finland Strategic Partnership through concrete cooperation initiatives in the time ahead.

Both sides are currently working on a detailed action plan to effectively implement commitments under the Strategic Partnership framework, thereby deepening substantive cooperation and delivering practical benefits to the people of both countries, he noted.

The Finnish official described Việt Nam as Finland’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, saying this reflects the high level of trust and significant cooperation potential between the two economies.

Despite positive progress, he noted that considerable room remains for expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in areas where Finland possesses advanced expertise and technology.

He highlighted Finland’s strengths in clean technology, renewable energy, digital transformation and sustainable development, stressing that such experience could effectively support Việt Nam’s development objectives.

Finland is among the world’s leading countries in green transition and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, he said, adding that around 96 per cent of the country’s electricity production is currently carbon-free.

These are experiences and solutions that Finland is ready to share with Việt Nam as the Southeast Asian country advances its sustainable development goals and climate change response, he stated.

Syrjälä identified clean energy and energy transition, smart infrastructure, logistics and maritime development, digital supply chains, telecommunications technology, sustainable agriculture and environmental technology as particularly promising areas for future cooperation between the two nations.

He also underscored the increasingly important role of businesses in advancing the bilateral ties, noting that enterprises from both countries would serve as a key driving force in transforming ideas into concrete projects, promoting investment and facilitating technology transfer.

According to the Finnish official, innovation capacity and practical implementation by the business community will play a central role in generating sustainable growth for both Finland and Việt Nam in the coming years.

Assessing Việt Nam’s increasing role and position, Syrjälä described the country as one of Asia’s most dynamic and fastest-growing economies, playing an increasingly important role in regional stability, economic integration and multilateral cooperation.

He praised Việt Nam’s active participation in ASEAN mechanisms and broader international cooperation frameworks, saying the country’s growing international profile creates favourable conditions for expanding partnerships with countries such as Finland.

Regarding people-to-people exchanges, Syrjälä noted that the Vietnamese community in Finland has grown to around 16,000 people and is becoming an increasingly important bridge in the bilateral relations.

Educational cooperation programmes between universities and institutions in the two countries has also contributed to stronger mutual understanding and long-term connectivity, he said, adding that thousands of Vietnamese students are currently studying in Finland, helping lay the foundation for future cooperation in high-quality human resources.

The Finnish official also expressed confidence that young people would continue to play an important role in strengthening the bilateral relations in the years ahead.

At the same time, he said Finland remains ready to welcome more Vietnamese enterprises to visit and explore the European nation's technological solutions and innovation models directly, thereby opening up further opportunities for investment and long-term business cooperation. — VNA/VNS