Nghe An attends the workshop celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Central and Eastern Europe

Attending the workshop were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, leaders of central ministries and branches, representatives of embassies of 6 Central Eastern European countries including Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania in Vietnam, along with scholars, experts, businesses and local delegates.

The delegation of Nghe An province attended with comrade Tran Khanh Thuc - Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

‏In his opening speech at the workshop, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized: "Over the past 75 years, Vietnam and Central and Eastern European countries have built a sustainable cooperative relationship, based on mutual respect and common interests. Together we have overcome many challenges to develop the relationship, expanding cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, education and training." Mr. Tran Hong Ha also emphasized the importance of strengthening solidarity and cooperation in the context of a rapidly changing world: "We need to cooperate more closely in addressing global issues such as climate change, energy security and sustainable development. Vietnam is ready to contribute to these common efforts and hopes that partner countries will also work together towards a prosperous future for all of us." The Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam will always attach importance to and promote cooperative relations with Central and Eastern European countries, aiming to create new opportunities for each side's development.

‏Speaking at the workshop, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang emphasized:

‏“Today’s conference is an opportunity for us to look back on the proud journey of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Central and Eastern European countries – a relationship formed and strengthened based on common values ​​such as independence, freedom, peace and development. This is a bridge of friendship built on understanding, trust and willingness to help each other over the past 75 years.”

The Deputy Minister affirmed that since the early years of the anti-colonial resistance war, Central and Eastern European countries were the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Since then, this relationship has continuously developed despite regional and international fluctuations. Today, Central and Eastern European countries are active members of the European Union, while Vietnam is a key member of ASEAN - favorable conditions to promote more comprehensive and multilateral cooperation.

Regarding economic cooperation, two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Central Eastern European countries in 2024 will reach nearly 8.9 billion USD, reflecting the great potential of this relationship. In addition, the fields of education - training and people-to-people exchange continue to be bright spots, with more than 137,000 Vietnamese people living and working in this region, contributing to the cultural - social bridge between the two sides.

The Deputy Minister suggested that the parties continue to promote traditional cooperation such as health, education, science and technology and at the same time expand to new areas such as digital transformation, green transformation and innovation, creating new momentum for bilateral cooperation in the coming period.

‏In-depth discussions at the Workshop affirmed that the Vietnam-Central Eastern Europe relationship is a “precious diplomatic asset”, forged through a difficult historical journey. The two sides have achieved many outstanding achievements in traditional cooperation areas such as education, health, culture, science and technology, and people-to-people exchange. At the same time, many new cooperation initiatives were proposed, focusing on digital transformation, climate change response, green development and innovation.

According to 2024 data, the export turnover from Nghe An to this region reached over 660,000 USD, mainly focusing on the Czech Republic market (612,515 USD) and Slovakia (45,619 USD). There has not been any specific data on imports from these countries, showing that the potential for two-way trade cooperation is still very large. This is an important time for Nghe An enterprises to promote integration and export of goods, opening up European markets.

On the sidelines of the workshop, comrade Tran Khanh Thuc met with representatives of embassies, investment promotion organizations and businesses from Central and Eastern European countries to promote cooperation in priority areas of the province such as agricultural processing industry, high-tech agriculture and eco-tourism.

The workshop is a vivid demonstration of Vietnam's strategic diplomatic vision - proactively expanding partnerships, maximizing the potential of local cooperation, and localizing foreign affairs. With the proactive participation of localities such as Nghe An, the relationship between Vietnam and Central and Eastern European countries is expected to continue to develop strongly and sustainably, for the common interests and common future of the people of both sides.