Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and President To Lam, accompanied by his wife, departed Hanoi on October 19 for a six-day visit to Denmark, the European Union and Belgium, aimed at strengthening political ties and expanding cooperation.
The visit, scheduled for October 19-24, is being made at the invitation of Denmark’s King Frederik X and Queen Mary, European Council President António Costa and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly, depart Hanoi for their visit to Denmark, the European Union and Belgium. Photo: VNA
The high-level Vietnamese delegation includes Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Inspection Commission; Le Minh Tri, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs; General Phan Van Giang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence; General Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security; Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung; Hanoi Party Secretary Tran Duc Thang; Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Tran Luu Quang; Nguyen Hai Ninh, Chief of the Party Central Committee Office; National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Hong; Nguyen Huu Dong, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Deputy Affairs; Le Khanh Hai, Chairman of the Presidential Office; Construction Minister Tran Hong Minh; Education and Training Minister Hoang Minh Son; and Agriculture and Environment Minister Trinh Viet Hung.
Other members of the delegation include To An Xo, Assistant to the Party General Secretary and President and head of the General Secretary’s Office; Vietnamese Ambassador to Denmark Nguyen Le Thanh; and Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Huong Tra, who also heads Vietnam’s Mission to the European Union.
The visit by To Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly, sends a strong message about Vietnam’s foreign policy direction as the country enters a new stage of development. It is expected to reinforce political trust and open up further opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, green growth and sustainable development, supporting Vietnam’s national development goals.
Vietnam and Denmark enjoy strong diplomatic relations built on more than five decades of cooperation. Their partnership has developed through several important frameworks, including a Strategic Partnership in Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Green Growth established in November 2011, a Comprehensive Partnership in September 2013 and a Green Strategic Partnership in November 2023.
The two countries have maintained regular exchanges and high-level contacts. Denmark is among the EU’s leading investors in Vietnam and stands out among Nordic countries for its high-quality investment and commitment to green development. Vietnam, meanwhile, has become one of the priority investment destinations for Danish businesses in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam and the European Union officially upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during European Council President António Costa’s visit to Vietnam in January 2026. Vietnam became the first Southeast Asian country to establish such a partnership with the EU and remains the only ASEAN member with a full range of cooperation frameworks with the bloc.
Political relations between Vietnam and the EU, as well as with individual EU member states, have continued to strengthen across multiple sectors. Six years after taking effect, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has delivered significant results, helping Vietnam become the EU’s largest goods trading partner within ASEAN.
The EU is now Vietnam’s fourth-largest trading partner and sixth-largest foreign investor, underscoring the growing economic importance of the relationship.
Vietnam and Belgium established diplomatic relations in 1973 and upgraded their ties to a Strategic Partnership in Agriculture in 2018, achieving positive results in bilateral cooperation.
The two countries have maintained high-level exchanges and regular contacts at regional and international forums. Economically, Belgium is Vietnam’s sixth-largest trading partner within the EU, while Vietnam is Belgium’s largest trading partner in ASEAN.
Tran Thuong