General Secretary and President To Lam Holds Talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen

As part of his State visit to the Kingdom of Denmark from October 19 to 21, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam held talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen on October 20 (local time).

Warmly welcoming General Secretary and President To Lam, his spouse and the high-level Vietnamese delegation on their State visit to Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirmed that the visit was particularly significant as the two countries celebrated the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1971–2026), reflecting mutual political trust and a shared determination to usher bilateral relations into a new stage of development.

The Danish Prime Minister congratulated Vietnam on its comprehensive achievements in national renewal, socioeconomic development and international integration. She highly appreciated Vietnam’s increasingly important role and standing in the region and internationally, affirming that Vietnam is one of Denmark’s key partners in Southeast Asia.

Expressing his sincere appreciation for the warm, thoughtful and gracious reception extended by King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Government and people, General Secretary and President To Lam congratulated Denmark on its impressive development achievements as a highly developed economy with strong competitiveness and a high quality of life, and as a frontrunner in green transition, renewable energy, science and technology, and innovation.

Discussing bilateral relations, the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the increasingly extensive and substantive development of Vietnam–Denmark friendship and cooperation over the past 55 years, with cooperation expanding into a growing range of areas aligned with the development priorities of both countries.

From traditional development cooperation, the two countries have become trusted, equal and mutually beneficial partners, marked by important milestones such as the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 and the Green Strategic Partnership in 2023.

Building on the achievements of bilateral cooperation, the two leaders agreed on the need to seize new opportunities, capitalize on each country’s strengths and create fresh momentum for bilateral relations, thereby making practical contributions to their respective national development objectives.

On this basis, General Secretary and President To Lam and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen agreed to adopt a Joint Statement upgrading Vietnam–Denmark relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations and establishing a new political framework and momentum for deeper, more substantive and effective cooperation.

The upgraded partnership is intended to serve the long-term interests of the peoples of both countries while contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development in their respective regions and around the world.
Emphasizing that Denmark is the second EU member state to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed her desire to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the new phase of bilateral relations.

To translate the upgraded partnership into concrete results, the two leaders agreed to strengthen political trust through regular exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts, as well as exchanges at various levels through Party, State and people-to-people channels.

They also agreed to improve the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation mechanisms and promote closer cooperation among ministries, agencies, local authorities, business communities and the peoples of both countries.
The two leaders identified economic, trade and investment cooperation as a key pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

They agreed to continue the effective implementation of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), promote market access, facilitate deeper participation by enterprises from both countries in global value chains and supply chains, and work towards increasing bilateral trade.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen highly appreciated Vietnam’s investment and business environment and its development prospects, reaffirming Denmark’s desire to further expand economic, trade and investment cooperation with Vietnam.

The Danish Prime Minister expressed support for Danish enterprises to increase their presence and make long-term investments in Vietnam, particularly in high-tech, environmentally friendly and high-value-added projects.

General Secretary and President To Lam highly appreciated the presence and positive contributions of leading Danish companies such as LEGO, Maersk, Pandora, Carlsberg, Vestas and many others operating in Vietnam. He emphasized the importance of strengthening policy dialogue and investment promotion to translate cooperation commitments into concrete projects.

The two leaders agreed to continue building on the Green Strategic Partnership, making energy transition, climate change response and sustainable development long-term strategic priorities for bilateral cooperation.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirmed Denmark’s readiness to continue sharing its experience and technologies and supporting Vietnam in developing renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, advancing a just energy transition and fulfilling its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

General Secretary and President To Lam called on Denmark to strengthen support for Vietnam in improving its policy framework, mobilizing green finance and promoting large-scale renewable energy projects, particularly offshore wind power.

He also sought Denmark’s continued assistance in the effective implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in strategic infrastructure, seaports, logistics, green maritime transport and supply chain connectivity.
General Secretary and President To Lam welcomed greater participation by Danish enterprises in developing Vietnam’s seaport systems, logistics centres, transport infrastructure and green transport corridors.

Alongside the green transition, the two leaders agreed to promote science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as new drivers of bilateral cooperation.

They emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation in research, technology application and transfer in areas including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, biotechnology, biomedicine, digital technologies and emerging industries.

Both sides also agreed to strengthen connections among universities, research institutes, innovation centres and businesses, while promoting the training and development of highly qualified human resources.

The two countries further agreed to enhance cooperation in healthcare, the circular economy, smart urban development and climate change adaptation, while expanding cultural exchanges, education, tourism, cooperation between local authorities and people-to-people exchanges.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen particularly appreciated the contributions of the Vietnamese community of more than 18,000 people living in Denmark, noting their successful integration into Danish society, positive contributions to local socioeconomic development and important role in strengthening Vietnam–Denmark friendship.

Regarding multilateral cooperation, the two leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern and agreed to strengthen coordination and mutual support at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.

They reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and respect for international law, while promoting more substantive and effective ASEAN–EU relations.

Vietnam expressed its readiness to serve as a bridge to strengthen cooperation between Denmark and ASEAN.

Emphasizing the importance of translating cooperation commitments into tangible results, General Secretary and President To Lam and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen agreed to maintain close coordination and direct relevant ministries and agencies to promptly develop concrete measures for implementing the orientations, commitments and agreements reached during the visit.

These efforts aim to ensure that the new partnership framework delivers substantive outcomes and practical benefits to the peoples of both countries.

On this occasion, General Secretary and President To Lam cordially invited Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to visit Vietnam in the near future. The Danish Prime Minister expressed her sincere appreciation and graciously accepted the invitation.

Following the talks, General Secretary and President To Lam and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between ministries, agencies and enterprises of the two countries.