The ceremony, held at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on January 29, was attended by senior Vietnamese officials, including ministers and deputy ministers from key ministries and agencies, Vietnamese Ambassador to the European Union Nguyen Van Thao, and representatives of the Office of the President.
During the ceremony, the two leaders rendered the flag salute, reviewed the guard of honour of the Vietnam People’s Army, and introduced members of their respective delegations.
The visit comes at a significant time, as Vietnam has just successfully concluded the 14th National Party Congress and Vietnam and the European Union marked the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025.
Vietnam and the EU established diplomatic relations in 1990. Over the past three decades, bilateral ties have expanded steadily, with frequent high-level exchanges and close coordination at multilateral forums, including within EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the United Nations.
The two sides signed the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in 2012, which entered into force in 2016, providing a comprehensive legal framework for bilateral cooperation. In June 2019, they signed the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). While the EVIPA is still pending ratification by some EU member states, the EVFTA has been in force since August 1, 2020.
Five years after its implementation, the EVFTA has delivered tangible results. Vietnam has become the EU’s largest trading partner within ASEAN, while the EU is Vietnam’s fourth largest trading partner and sixth largest foreign investor. Two-way trade increased by more than 40%, from US$44.1 billion in 2020 to US$64.6 billion in 2024, and reached about US$61 billion in the first 10 months of 2025. Total EU investment in Vietnam has risen from US$25.5 billion to nearly US$35 billion.
President Costa’s visit is seen as an important milestone in Vietnam–EU relations, demonstrating the EU’s recognition of Vietnam’s growing role and reaffirming Vietnam’s position as a key partner of the EU in the Asia-Pacific region.
Following the welcoming ceremony, President Luong Cuong and President Antonio Costa held a retreat meeting before leading their delegations to official talks to review bilateral cooperation and discuss future directions. The two leaders are also scheduled to brief the media on the outcomes of their discussions later the day.
