Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Spain Reaffirm Strategic Partnership at UNOC 3 in France
Nice, The Gulf Observer: Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in Nice, France, on June 9 (local time), reaffirming their commitment to deepening the Vietnam–Spain strategic partnership.
Prime Minister Chính emphasised that Vietnam highly values its multifaceted cooperation with Spain, which was the first European Union (EU) member state to establish a strategic partnership with Vietnam. He expressed the desire to further advance bilateral relations in a practical, effective, and comprehensive manner.
The two leaders reviewed progress following Prime Minister Sánchez’s official visit to Việt Nam in April and discussed concrete measures to implement the outcomes of that visit. They agreed to deepen bilateral collaboration across key sectors, especially economy, trade, and investment, which were reaffirmed as central pillars of the strategic partnership.
Both sides committed to the effective implementation of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the recently signed Protocol on bilateral financial cooperation. They agreed to convene the inaugural session of the Joint Committee on Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation in 2025, with the aim of unlocking the full potential of both economies and striving to raise two-way trade to over US$8 billion in the near future.
Prime Minister Chính called for Spain’s continued support in expediting the European Parliament’s ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). He also urged Spain to advocate for the European Commission’s removal of its “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood, which affects Vietnamese fisheries exports to the EU market.
Highlighting the importance of market diversification, Prime Minister Chính proposed that both countries further open their markets to one another, diversify product categories, and enhance the resilience of supply chains by reducing reliance on single markets.
The Vietnamese leader expressed interest in sending a working delegation to Spain to study the development of the Spanish railway industry. He called for strengthened cooperation in technology transfer and human resource training, given Spain’s global expertise in high-speed rail systems.
Prime Minister Sánchez welcomed the proposal, affirming Spain’s readiness to share its experience as the country with the second longest high-speed railway system in the world. He also underscored Spain’s strong commitment to advancing bilateral cooperation and supporting Vietnam’s efforts to strengthen its ties with the EU, particularly in leveraging the benefits of the EVFTA.
The Spanish leader extended an invitation to Prime Minister Chính to attend the upcoming 4th High-Level Conference on Finance for Development (FfD) to be hosted by Spain, offering a platform to further explore potential areas of cooperation between the two countries.
During their meeting, the two prime ministers also exchanged views on international development goals, marine biodiversity conservation, and global maritime governance and security. They reiterated the importance of upholding peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in all seas, including the East Sea (South China Sea), based on respect for the legitimate interests of coastal states in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The meeting between the two leaders reflected the shared vision and strong political will of both countries to elevate the Vietnam–Spain Strategic Partnership to new heights.
