National Assembly Vice President Nguyễn Doãn Anh (left) meets with Finnish Parliament Speaker Jussi Halla-aho in Helsinki. — VNA/VNS Photo

HELSIKI — National Assembly (NA) Vice President Nguyễn Doãn Anh led an NA delegation to visit Finland on September 21-23, the first leg of his working trip to Finland, Norway and Lithuania from September 21-30.

The visit took place less than a year after the two countries upgraded their bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership during General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Tô Lâm’s official visit to Finland in October 2025. It therefore helps maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen ties between the two legislative bodies and promote the implementation of major cooperation orientations agreed by the two countries’ leaders.

During his stay, Doãn Anh met with the Finnish Parliament’s Speaker Jussi Halla-aho and held working sessions with its Deputy Speaker Tarja Filatov and representatives from the Finland–ASEAN Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group. He affirmed that Việt Nam attaches importance to its traditional friendship and Strategic Partnership with Finland, and called for stronger exchanges between the two legislatures, including among their leaders and specialised committees, as well as experience sharing in lawmaking, oversight and institutional development.

The Vietnamese NA Vice President proposed that the two sides enhance cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green and circular economies, as well as economic, trade and investment ties, high technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, 5G/6G, renewable energy, education and high-quality human resources development.

Finnish parliamentary leaders affirmed their appreciation for relations with Việt Nam and expressed their wish to deepen legislative exchanges and promote connections among localities, educational institutions, research institutes and businesses, contributing to substantive implementation of the Strategic Partnership.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of shared concern and agreed to continue coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development on the basis of the UN Charter and international law.

Meeting with leaders of the Finland–Việt Nam Friendship Association, Doãn Anh spoke highly of the association’s sustained contributions to fostering friendship, promoting mutual understanding and strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries over the decades. The association’s President Mauri Raveala and other members briefed him on their recent activities and expressed their wish to expand cooperation in the new period from cultural and people-to-people exchanges to education, science and technology, as well as economic and trade ties.

The Vietnamese NA Vice President welcomed the association’s direction, noting that linking people-to-people diplomacy with the scientific, expert and business communities will help enrich the substance of the Strategic Partnership and translate the traditional friendship into more practical cooperation programmes.

A highlight of the visit was the delegation’s engagement with Finland’s science, technology, education and innovation ecosystem. In Espoo, Doãn Anh met leaders of the city, Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Nokia, ICEYE and several technology companies. He highlighted the close linkage among local authorities, universities, research institutes and businesses as a valuable experience, and called for stronger connections with Vietnamese partners in satellite technology, AI, digital transformation, smart cities, green economy and high-tech workforce training.

He also encouraged Finnish businesses to expand research and development, technology transfer and joint technology development with Vietnamese partners, shifting from technology provision to co-creation, workforce training and high-value projects.

The delegation also attended the opening of an exhibition on Việt Nam and a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the country's National Day, met representatives of Vietnamese associations and the Vietnamese community in the European country. — VNA/VNS