The European Union (EU) Delegation to Vietnam held a ceremony in Hanoi on the evening of May 8 to celebrate Europe Day (May 9).
In his opening remarks, EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier stressed that over the past decades, Vietnam and the EU have built a deep and forward-looking partnership. Since the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) came into force in 2020, bilateral trade has increased by more than 50%. The bloc is currently one of Vietnam’s leading providers of official development assistance through the Global Gateway strategy and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).
The ambassador reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to accompanying Vietnam in achieving its goals of becoming a developed economy by 2045 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, while ensuring energy security amid global uncertainties.
According to Guerrier, 2026 marks a historic new height in bilateral relations, as the two sides officially elevated ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit by President of the European Council Antonio Costa in January. The EU remains committed to being a reliable partner, providing capital and technology support for Vietnam in future-oriented sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), telecommunications, energy infrastructure and transport, including the consortium developing the Lien Chieu port project in Da Nang.
In ASEAN, Vietnam is regarded as a pioneer, having signed the largest number of agreements with the EU, and the bloc will continue to serve as a long-term investment partner for Vietnam’s future, he added.
Representing the Vietnamese Government at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang extended warm congratulations to European friends and affirmed that, after more than 35 years of cultivation, Vietnam-EU relations are full of breakthrough potential.
Despite global challenges, the EU has continued to strengthen its position as a major trading partner and leading investor of Vietnam, while Vietnam remains the EU’s largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). After five years of EVFTA implementation, bilateral trade has recorded impressive average annual growth of 10%.
Describing 2026 as a pivotal year of symbolic significance, Hang welcomed the fact that commitments to upgrading bilateral ties had quickly been translated into substantive actions, notably the first-ever EU-Vietnam Global Gateway Business and Investment Forum held in March, which attracted more than 800 delegates.
Against the backdrop of increasing global complexities and uncertainties, the deputy foreign minister stressed that Vietnam always attaches importance to and prioritises its relationship with the EU. She noted that both sides possess strong potential to make breakthroughs in key sectors of the new era, including science and technology, innovation, green transition, and digital transformation, thereby contributing meaningfully to maintaining and strengthening peace, stability and sustainable development across the world.
