General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm (right) and President of the Denmark–Việt Nam Friendship Association Nils Bulb on October 20 (local time). — Photo vov.vn

COPENHAGEN — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm received Nils Bulb, President of the Denmark–Việt Nam Friendship Association, and several members of the association in Copenhagen on Tuesday (local time).

General Secretary and President Lâm, who is on a state visit to Denmark, expressed his pleasure at meeting association leaders and members, who he described as close friends of Việt Nam and have consistently supported the country both during the arduous struggle for independence, freedom, and reunification, and in today's development process.

The Party, State, and people of Việt Nam always treasure and keep in mind the profound affection and valuable support from the Danish people, he affirmed.

Stressing that the traditional friendship between Việt Nam and Denmark remains a precious asset of both nations, he highly commended the association's role in nurturing close ties and solidarity between the two peoples.

For his part, Bulb noted that the Denmark–Việt Nam Friendship Association has truly served as a solid bridge contributing to mutual understanding and solidarity between the two peoples.

For nearly 50 years, it has organised numerous activities to foster understanding and cooperation between the countries. Many projects have been and are currently being implemented effectively in Việt Nam, including community healthcare programmes in rural and remote areas, as well as assistance for vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

In the coming period, he noted, the association aims to continue effectively executing and expanding community health projects in Việt Nam, while promoting educational exchanges, cultural activities, and Vietnamese cuisine in Denmark.

Bulb pledged the association's further efforts to strengthen cooperation with the Việt Nam–Denmark Friendship Association. It will also foster people-to-people exchanges, particularly by connecting the younger generations of both nations, to help the two peoples gain a deeper understanding of the fruitful cooperative relationship between their countries.

General Secretary and President Lâm appreciated the dedicated and sustained contributions by generations of association leaders, members and Danish friends who have accompanied Việt Nam over the past half-century.

He said that during this visit, Việt Nam and Denmark had officially upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, making Denmark Việt Nam’s first Comprehensive Strategic Partner in Northern Europe and its second in the European Union. The two countries’ leaders had held successful talks and outlined cooperation orientations commensurate with the level of their newly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Stressing that the new phase of development is significant for both countries, the Vietnamese leader called on the association to continue serving as a bridge of friendship and helping deepen the Việt Nam–Denmark Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He suggested it actively introduce the country, people, history, culture and development achievements of Việt Nam to the Danish public, thereby strengthening the social foundation and creating momentum for increasingly substantive and sustainable bilateral relations.

The association was also encouraged to promote cultural and educational exchanges and foster connections among young people, friendship organisations, agencies, businesses, universities and research institutes in the two countries so as to implement cooperation activities in areas where they are strong.

General Secretary and President Lâm expressed his hope that the association will continue to accompany Việt Nam in humanitarian activities and efforts to support children, women and vulnerable groups. He also called on it to leverage its partner networks to mobilise resources and promote practical cooperation initiatives in education, healthcare, environmental protection and sustainable development, delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries. — VNA/VNS