The ASEAN ambassadors meet with Greek Minister of Labour Niki Kerameus. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Greece wants to recruit more workers from ASEAN countries, including Việt Nam, as it seeks to address labour shortages and support economic growth, said Greek Minister of Labour Niki Kerameus.

The minister made the remarks during a meeting on Wednesday with Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Phạm Thị Thu Hương and the ambassadors of Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia to discuss labour cooperation.

Briefing the ASEAN ambassadors on Greece's labour market, Kerameus said the country's unemployment rate has fallen to around 8 per cent, the lowest level in a decade.

Following the 2009 financial crisis, the Greek Government reduced its public-sector workforce by around 30 per cent. As the economy has recovered and grown, Greece has been implementing programmes to bring previously unemployed workers back to work through retraining and upskilling, helping them adapt to challenges posed by the digital revolution, online work and growing competition from artificial intelligence (AI).

Greece also needs to recruit workers, particularly skilled and highly qualified personnel, from other countries, including ASEAN nations, to support economic development, she said.

Although the Ministry of Labour does not directly negotiate or sign labour cooperation agreements with other countries, it works with relevant ministries and agencies to develop and implement social welfare policies and better protect the rights and interests of workers, including foreign ones, in Greece, she added.

Speaking at the meeting, Hương said about 1,700 Vietnamese workers are currently employed in Greece. During recent meetings between senior leaders of the two countries, including the meeting between the two Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, in June 2025, and the Greek Foreign Minister's visit to Việt Nam in July 2026, both sides expressed their desire to promote labour cooperation.

The Vietnamese Embassy is currently serving as a bridge to facilitate negotiations towards a bilateral labour cooperation agreement, she said, adding Vietnamese officials are expected to visit Greece in 2027 to hold direct discussions with Greek ministries, agencies and partners to further advance labour cooperation.

The Greek Minister of Labour affirmed Greece's readiness to strengthen cooperation on labour and social affairs. — VNA/VNS