On October 21, at the Finnish Parliament headquarters, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) To Lam met with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The meeting took place in a formal atmosphere, reflecting both sides' determination to elevate bilateral ties to a new level as Strategic Partners and opening broad cooperation prospects amid a volatile international landscape.

Meeting the Finnish Prime Minister: Laying a solid foundation for strategic relations

During the meeting, Prime Minister Orpo warmly welcomed Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, along with the senior Vietnamese delegation, noting the visit’s significance in consolidating and expanding traditional friendship. He expressed satisfaction at the strong development of bilateral relations and emphasized that upgrading to a Strategic Partnership would create new opportunities, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, investment, and education, while reaffirming Finland’s commitment to fostering practical bilateral cooperation.

Party General Secretary To Lam sincerely thanked the Prime Minister and the Finnish government for their warm reception, stressing that Vietnam values its traditional friendship with Finland, a partner with great potential and shared commitment to sustainable development. He highlighted Vietnam’s enduring appreciation for Finland’s early support during Vietnam’s renovation period, particularly in water supply and sanitation, poverty reduction, climate change adaptation, and forestry.

Reporting on key outcomes of discussions with President Alexander Stubb, Party General Secretary To Lam emphasized Vietnam’s readiness to work closely with Finland to elevate relations across core pillars. He also expressed Vietnam’s hope that Finland would serve as a bridge to promote Vietnam - EU and Finland - ASEAN cooperation. Both sides agreed to strengthen high-level exchanges and expand collaboration across political, economic, educational, local, and other sectors.

On economic and trade cooperation, Party General Secretary To Lam underlined that Finland is a leading potential trading partner for Vietnam in Northern Europe. Vietnam seeks to learn from Finland’s experience in developing a circular economy and encourages Finnish businesses to invest in Vietnam, especially in clean energy, high technology, and innovation. He also requested Finland’s support for the European Commission’s swift removal of the IUU “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood exports.

Prime Minister Orpo welcomed the proposals and emphasized Finland’s continued support to strengthen bilateral relations and facilitate Finnish businesses’ expansion in Vietnam. The leaders also exchanged views on international and regional developments, agreeing to closely coordinate at multilateral forums, support Vietnam-EU relations, and underscore the importance of peace, stability, and cooperative development under international law and the UN Charter.

Meeting Finnish businesses: Advancing green and digital growth

Subsequently, Party General Secretary To Lam met with Finnish business leaders, recognized globally for their expertise in green technology, innovation, and sustainable development. Finnish Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen noted that over decades, Vietnam and Finland have built strong cooperation based on trust, respect, and dynamic economic engagement. He highlighted Finnish businesses’ pride in being active partners in Vietnam’s growth, particularly in clean energy, digitalization, IT, construction, maritime, and water management.

Representatives of Finnish companies presented concrete collaboration ideas and proposed solutions to open new opportunities aligned with modern development trends and strategic interests of both nations. Despite geographical distance, Vietnam and Finland share a vision for knowledge-driven, innovative, and sustainable growth.

Speaking at the meeting, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his pleasure at the open and practical cooperation spirit of Finnish businesses, emphasizing that the Strategic Partnership upgrade offers an opportunity to boost economic, trade, and investment cooperation. He highlighted Vietnam’s high-quality development strategy, driven by science, technology, digital transformation, and innovation towards a green, sustainable economy. Vietnam is also committed to improving its investment environment, ensuring foreign investors’ legitimate rights, and implementing flexible, breakthrough policies.

The Party General Secretary stressed that businesses are at the center of development and the driving force to realize Vietnam’s aspiration to become a high-income developed country by 2045. Vietnam pledges to continue enhancing its business and investment environment, building a dynamic, transparent market economy with innovation as a driver and people at the core. He encouraged enterprises from both countries to strengthen exchanges, connectivity, investment, and collaboration in key sectors, seeing business as a living bridge that deepens bilateral relations and creates sustainable value for both economies.

As part of the visit, Party General Secretary To Lam and the Vietnamese delegation witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between businesses of both countries in technology, aviation, telecommunications, and cybersecurity. These agreements not only strengthen economic and technological cooperation but also reflect shared confidence in a green, digital, and sustainable future built on creativity, knowledge, and long-term development. The Party General Secretary emphasized that Vietnam-Finland cooperation extends beyond government relations, connecting the business communities of both countries to promote shared prosperity and sustainable growth.