Vietnam and the Netherlands recently conducted their second political consultation at the deputy minister level in Hanoi, where they reinforced their dedication to broadening collaboration across various sectors. The meeting was headed by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Lê Thị Thu Hằng and Dutch Deputy Foreign Minister Marcel de Vink. Both parties took stock of the advancements in bilateral relations, applauding the ongoing enhancement of diplomatic engagements, economic partnerships, and cooperative efforts at regional and international platforms.
Vietnam underscored its ambitious development targets, aiming to elevate itself to an upper-middle-income nation by 2030 and to achieve a developed, high-income status by 2045. To reach these milestones, Vietnam intends to leverage science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as pivotal elements for sustainable economic growth. The Vietnamese representatives advocated for a more profound execution of the two nations’ Comprehensive Partnership and existing strategic cooperation frameworks, urging intensified collaboration in areas such as trade, investment, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, green transition, digital transformation, and innovation.
Additionally, Vietnam pressed for the endorsement of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement and advocated for the removal of trade barriers affecting its seafood exports. On the other hand, the Netherlands reiterated its commitment to fortifying its relationship with Vietnam, recognizing the Southeast Asian nation as a crucial and trusted ally within the Asia-Pacific region. Dutch officials expressed a desire to dispatch larger business delegations to Vietnam and to broaden cooperation in high-tech fields like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, scientific research, and workforce development.
Both countries agreed to bolster their cooperation in various domains, including security, defense, justice, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. They also promoted stronger ties between local governments and businesses. On broader regional and global matters, both sides affirmed their support for multilateralism, free trade, and the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law. They highlighted the significance of maintaining peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight, especially within the framework of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.