Finland and Viet Nam enjoy a great relationship that has lasted for more than half a century, and Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Finland will help further intensify their ties, Finnish Ambassador to Viet Nam Pekka Voutilainen has said.
In an interview granted to the press ahead of the visit, scheduled for October 20–22, Ambassador Voutilainen reviewed over five decades of relations, noting that bilateral cooperation has traditionally focused on development cooperation. However, as Viet Nam continues to post impressive economic growth, the partnership is now shifting toward trade and investment.
Finland's public funds currently invest nearly 100 million EUR (about 116.5 million USD) in Viet Nam, alongside its private investments and businesses already operating in the Southeast Asian country. Viet Nam has also become Finland’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia for 2024 and 2025, he added.
The diplomat identified information technology, cybersecurity, clean energy, the circular economy, water management, and medical technology as areas through which many Finnish companies can contribute to Viet Nam's economic growth and welfare. These sectors, he said, match Viet Nam’s major goals in infrastructure development and social welfare improvement.
Highlighting Finnish strengths, Voutilainen mentioned Nokia in information technology and Wärtsilä in energy, which provides power plants running on flexible fuels from bioenergy to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen. Finland is also working with the European Union and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to promote circular economy initiatives in Viet Nam’s industrial zones.
The ambassador noted that Viet Nam’s growing political and economic influence has strengthened its global standing.
He said he firmly believes that General Secretary To Lam's visit will open up new prospects for the coming years following the signing of projects and memoranda of understanding (MoUs). Along with MoUs between Government agencies, several private-sector agreements will also be signed, marking a new step forward in bilateral collaboration.
As Viet Nam progresses to a higher stage of economic development, he expressed confidence that bilateral ties will deepen, with increasing focus on trade and investment to the benefit of both sides.
Voutilainen also underscored the importance of human resources exchange, saying Finland values Viet Nam’s well-educated workforce and welcomes more Vietnamese professionals and students. Currently, around 16,000 Vietnamese are living in the European nation.
Looking ahead, the ambassador voiced optimism about stronger growth in trade and investment relations. He highlighted his country’s high coffee consumption, averaging 13kg per person each year, as an opportunity for Vietnamese exporters. He added that Vietnamese goods such as apparel, agricultural products, and high-tech items are already well received in Finland.
According to Voutilainen, Finland could serve as a gateway for Vietnamese businesses to enter the Nordic and EU markets, while Viet Nam provides an ideal entry point for Finnish enterprises to access the ASEAN region.
