President of the European Council António Costa departed Hanoi late on January 29, concluding his two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong.
While in Vietnam, the EC President paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs on Bac Son Street in Hanoi.
EC President Costa met with Party General Secretary To Lam, attended an official welcome ceremony and held talks with President Cuong, followed by a joint press meeting and an official banquet. He also had meetings with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
On this occasion, the two sides issued a joint statement on the elevation of Vietnam-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 Vietnam successfully held the 14th National Party Congress, and marked a milestone in Vietnam–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, Vietnam–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 Vietnam–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 – Vietnam’s first university and a symbol of the country’s tradition of learning – and visited the underground section of Hanoi’s Metro Line 3 project./.
