Paris (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam held meetings with leaders of Serbia, the Republic of the Congo, Bulgaria, Finland and Luxembourg, and the President of the European Commission (EC), on September 10 on the sidelines of the International Space Summit in Paris, France, seeking to advance cooperation with these important partners.
Meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the top Vietnamese leader affirmed that Vietnam always treasures its traditional friendship with Serbia, and highly values Serbia’s participation in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
He congratulated Serbia on its socio-economic development and international integration achievements, including the international support for its hosting of EXPO 2027 in Belgrade. He invited the Serbian President to pay an official visit to Vietnam to further promote bilateral ties.
President Vucic, for his part, thanked Vietnam’s leaders and people for their support for Serbia, agreed on strengthening the traditional friendship and accepted the invitation, saying he would arrange the visit as soon as possible.
In his meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Georgiev Radev, General Secretary and President Lam affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, proposing enhancing regular delegation exchanges at all levels.
He thanked Bulgaria’s leaders and people for supporting the Vietnamese community to stably reside and do long-term business in the country.
PM Radev welcomed the General Secretary and President's proposal on maintaining high-level meetings to discuss issues and elevate the bilateral ties.
Meeting with Congolese President Denis Sassou N’Guesso, the Vietnamese leader noted positive developments in the bilateral relations, particularly trade cooperation. He invited N’Guesso to visit Vietnam.
The Congolese leader accepted the invitation with pleasure and affirmed his readiness to support Vietnamese businesses in cooperation and investment in the Republic of the Congo, expressing his wish to maintain close coordination with Vietnam at multilateral forums. He said his country stands ready to serve as a bridge between Vietnam and African countries, and the African Union.
During his discussion with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, General Secretary and President Lam highlighted the development of the Vietnam-Finland Strategic Partnership since its establishment in October 2025, and called for stronger cooperation in trade, science and technology, energy, satellites, cybersecurity, wastewater treatment and green infrastructure.
Stubb agreed that the two sides are actively taking concrete steps to implement the outcomes of the Vietnamese leader’s 2025 visit to Finland. He proposed continued mutual support for important positions at the United Nations and other international organisations.
Meeting with Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden, General Secretary and President Lam shared Vietnam’s development visions and targets through 2030 and 2045, stressing that science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and green growth are key drivers. He called for Luxembourg’s continued support for Vietnam, particularly in developing a international financial centre (IFC) and green finance partnerships.
PM Frieden spoke highly of Vietnam’s development achievements and growing role in the region and the world, expressing Finland's readiness to share experience and connect knowledge and resources in green finance and international financial centre development.
Talking to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, the Vietnamese leader affirmed Vietnam’s high regard for its relations with the European Union, describing the bloc as a leading partner of Vietnam across areas, particularly in science, technology and innovation. He called for closer coordination to address shared concerns and implement concrete commitments and projects that deliver substantive results.
The EC President, for her part, praised Vietnam’s active contribution to joint efforts to shape peaceful, safe, sustainable and fair space governance for the common benefit of humanity. She also recognised important and substantive progress in bilateral ties since the two sides upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in January 2026./.
