According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the invitation of Politburo member and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from October 24 to 26.

Profile of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk

Donald Tusk was born in 1957 and graduated with a degree in history from the University of Gdansk in Poland. In 1980, he co-founded the Independent Students' Association (NZS), an organization that later became part of the Solidarity movement. He served as the Solidarity movement's chairman at his workplace and worked as a journalist for a weekly publication produced by the movement.

In 1991, Tusk was elected to the Polish Senate. From 1997 to 2001, he served as Senate spokesperson, followed by a term as Deputy Marshal of the Senate from 2001 to 2005. Between 2003 and 2007, he led the centre-right Civic Platform (PO) party.

Tusk previously served as Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014. He subsequently became President of the European Council, serving from 2014 to 2019 and becoming the first Polish politician to hold the position. In 2021, he was elected leader of Civic Platform. In December 2023, the Polish parliament elected him Prime Minister.

Bilateral trade maintains growth momentum

Poland is one of Viet Nam's important trading partners in Central and Eastern Europe. The two economies have complementary trade structures. Viet Nam's key exports to Poland include textiles and garments, footwear, electronics, wooden products, agricultural products, seafood and processed foods. In the opposite direction, Viet Nam imports machinery and equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agricultural products and processed foods from Poland.

Bilateral trade between Viet Nam and Poland reached USD 3.94 billion in 2025, up 14.8% from 2024. In the first seven months of 2026, trade turnover exceeded USD 2.6 billion, representing a 17% increase year on year. Viet Nam continued to record a trade surplus, with its exports to Poland worth nearly seven times the value of imports from the market.

Viet Nam's main exports to Poland in 2025 included computers, electronic products and components; cameras, camcorders and components; transport vehicles and spare parts; textiles and garments; footwear; iron and steel products; coffee; and seafood.

Meanwhile, Viet Nam's main imports from Poland comprised machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts; pharmaceuticals; milk and dairy products; cosmetics and toiletries; and seafood.

Since 1990, development cooperation between Viet Nam and Poland has shifted from a traditional aid model towards cooperation based on knowledge-sharing, experience exchange and institutional support. Poland has shared its experience in economic transformation, market reform, public governance, small and medium-sized enterprise development, and integration into the European Union (EU).

As an EU member, Poland also participates in development assistance programmes for Viet Nam through common EU instruments. These programmes focus on areas such as sustainable development, institutional reform, the green transition, education and training, and strengthening management capacity.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk's official visit to Viet Nam comes as economic and trade relations between the two countries continue to record positive growth. The visit provides an opportunity for both sides to step up exchanges, strengthen bilateral relations and tap the potential for further cooperation.