On October 18, 2026, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Luong Hoang Thai received Ms. Astrid Bergmål, State Secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during her working visit to Vietnam. The meeting took place at the headquarters of Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s official website, Deputy Minister Luong Hoang Thai emphasized that the visit took place at a time marked by several important milestones in bilateral relations: the upcoming 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Norway (November 25, 1971 – November 25, 2026), the conclusion of negotiations on the Vietnam–EFTA Free Trade Agreement on July 2, 2026, and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Green Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Norway on April 17, 2026.
Bilateral trade has continued to grow steadily. In the first nine months of 2026, trade between Vietnam and Norway reached USD 644 million, an increase of 7.7% compared with the same period of the previous year. Vietnam’s exports to Norway amounted to USD 221 million, up 56.7%, exceeding the total export value recorded for the whole of 2025. However, the Deputy Minister noted that the current volume of bilateral trade remained modest relative to the potential of the two economies.
Regarding the Vietnam–EFTA Free Trade Agreement, Deputy Minister Luong Hoang Thai stated that the Ministry of Industry and Trade was working urgently to complete the necessary procedures to bring the Agreement into force at the earliest possible date.
As Norway serves as the Depositary of the Agreement, the Deputy Minister called for close coordination with the Norwegian side to expedite the completion of the ratification procedures. He also proposed that Norway and the other EFTA member states promptly develop a dedicated technical assistance programme to support the implementation of the Agreement, helping businesses on both sides, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, better understand its commitments and effectively utilize the preferential treatment it offers.
In the energy sector, Deputy Minister Luong Hoang Thai noted that Vietnam had made significant progress in improving its legal framework for energy investment, including the Electricity Law of 2024, National Assembly Resolution No. 253/2025/QH15 and Government Decree No. 272/2026/ND-CP.
He encouraged Norway to promote greater investment by Norfund and Norwegian enterprises in renewable energy, offshore wind power, battery energy storage systems and smart grids. He also called for the early realization of Norway’s investment commitment of up to USD 250 million through Norfund by developing concrete projects under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).
The Deputy Minister further proposed expanding bilateral cooperation in fisheries and agricultural production and processing, the maritime economy, green technology transfer, greenhouse gas emissions inventories in industry, the development of commodity derivatives markets, trade infrastructure and logistics.
For her part, State Secretary Astrid Bergmål expressed appreciation for the warm reception extended by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and welcomed the positive results of bilateral cooperation in recent years. She also discussed areas of particular interest to the Norwegian side.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to maintain close coordination to facilitate the early implementation of the Vietnam–EFTA Free Trade Agreement, while promoting business matchmaking and investment promotion activities on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Norway.