At the invitation of Finnish President Alexander Stubb, General Secretary To Lam, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, are paying an official visit to the Republic of Finland from October 20 to 22. The visit marks a historic milestone, the first ever by a Vietnamese General Secretary to Finland since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries over 50 years ago.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Finland Pham Thi Thanh Binh, General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Finland holds particularly important political, economic, and diplomatic significance.

As the highest-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to Finland, it reflects Viet Nam’s profound regard for the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations.

The visit is also expected to provide momentum for shaping strategic cooperation in future fields.

The two sides are set to hold in-depth discussions on cooperation orientations in the areas of economy, trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, education and training, the environment, and clean energy - sectors in which Finland has strengths and Viet Nam is prioritising development.

Viet Nam is one of Finland’s most important partners in the Southeast Asian region.

ENDURING FRIENDSHIP THROUGH TIME

Viet Nam and Finland established diplomatic relations on January 25, 1973. The Finnish Embassy in Ha Noi was opened in 1974, while Viet Nam inaugurated its embassy in Helsinki in late 2005.

Development aid and cooperation form an essential part of Finland’s foreign policy. Through this, the country supports developing nations in improving socio-economic conditions, strengthening trade and investment, and working towards eradicating global poverty. The Finnish Government has adopted a development policy programme with a vision to 2030, focusing on key priorities such as values- and human rights-based approaches, attention to vulnerable regions and populations, gender equality, strengthening civil society, promoting gender equality, and addressing climate change.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Finland has consistently provided Viet Nam with non-refundable aid without any political conditions, amounting to approximately 340 million USD in total. The assistance has primarily focused on water resource management, poverty reduction, climate change adaptation, and forestry. During Viet Nam’s most challenging periods, Finland was among the pioneering countries to extend development assistance, with emblematic projects such as the Finnish clean water programme and water supply systems in Ha Noi and Hai Phong. In 2020, the two countries successfully transitioned to a mutually beneficial cooperation model.

With more than five decades of history, the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Viet Nam and Finland have been continuously maintained and developed, achieving numerous positive outcomes. The two countries regularly exchange delegations at all levels, maintain close coordination, and support each other at multilateral forums, particularly within the United Nations and the ASEAN–European Union (EU) frameworks. As an active member of the EU, Finland has been a strong supporter of advancing Viet Nam–EU relations and promoting the effective implementation of the EU–Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Viet Nam-Finland relations are entering a phase of “equal partnership, sustainable cooperation, and mutual development,” in line with the forward-looking vision towards a green and innovative future shared by both countries.

EXPANDING PROSPECTS OF COOPERATION

The bilateral trade turnover between Viet Nam and Finland has remained stable, reaching 422 million USD in 2024. In the first seven months of 2025 alone, it achieved 216 million USD.

Recently, bilateral trade and investment have seen new growth in areas where Finland has strengths and Viet Nam has demands, such as digital transformation, information and communication technology, agriculture and forestry, and renewable energy. In 2024, Finland ranked 58th among countries and territories investing in Viet Nam, with 37 active projects valued at over 50.8 million USD.

Science and technology represent a promising field of cooperation between the two countries, with numerous memoranda of understanding having been signed since 1995. The framework agreement on the Viet Nam-Finland Innovation Partnership Programme (IPP), signed in 2008, has become an important foundation for extensive cooperation in science, technology, and innovation.

Most recently, notable agreements include the cooperation on 5G network technology and smart port and airport development between Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) Group and Finland’s Nokia Corporation (August 2022).

Preferential credit is a focus of development cooperation between the two countries, implemented since 2003 but temporarily suspended between 2014 and 2016. In 2017, however, the Finnish Government relaunched the preferential credit programme under the new Public Investment Facility (PIF) – Public Investment Tool, establishing a framework for projects using official development assistance (ODA) and preferential loans funded by the Finnish Government.

Based on signed agreements, Vietnamese universities and Finnish partners are actively and effectively implementing cooperation programmes, focusing on exchanging lecturers and students. Currently, nearly 20 Vietnamese higher education institutions are actively cooperating with Finnish partners, while more than 2,500 Vietnamese students are studying in Finland in fields of economics, information technology, and tourism. In 2025, the two sides also reached a common agreement on facilitating the dispatch of Vietnamese workers and experts to Finland under the same standards and conditions as Finnish citizens.

In recent years, Viet Nam-Finland relations have developed in a positive, substantive, and comprehensive manner, demonstrated through enhanced political dialogue, expanded economic, educational, scientific, and technological cooperation, and increasingly deep people-to-people exchanges.

In the field of agriculture and environment, the two countries have built a solid foundation for cooperation, with specific and substantial results, focusing on the following areas: hydrometeorology with the SmartMet weather forecasting system; water resource management with clean water projects, water supply and drainage; and forestry with the outstanding project of the Forest Management Information System (FORMIS).

The two countries have also been actively promoting cooperation in various fields such as energy, culture, sports, and tourism. Tourist exchanges between Viet Nam and Finland have grown steadily following the post-COVID-19 recovery period. In addition, people-to-people exchanges have received strong attention and produced many positive results, with the friendship associations of both countries serving as bridges helping their peoples learn more about each other’s rich cultures, traditions, and ways of life.

The Vietnamese community in Finland currently numbers around 16,000 people. United, hardworking, and law-abiding, they enjoy stable lives, have integrated well into the local society, and are making active contributions to Finland’s development as well as to bilateral relations. At the same time, they remain devoted to preserving their national culture and identity while maintaining strong ties with their homeland.

The official visit to Finland by General Secretary To Lam and Spouse, accompanied by a high-level Vietnamese delegation, sends a powerful message that Viet Nam always cherishes its loyal friendship with traditional partners who have actively supported the country’s national construction, defence, and development, including Finland. The visit also marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation between Viet Nam and Finland, helping elevate their relationship to a deeper, more comprehensive level.