At the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is visiting Vietnam from 8 to 10 April. This marks the first official visit to Vietnam by a Spanish Prime Minister since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1977.
The two prime ministers, along with government officials from both nations, took part in a ceremonial flag salute.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also invited his Spanish counterpart to inspect the Honour Guard of the Vietnam People’s Army.
This is also the first visit to Vietnam by a senior Spanish leader in 19 years, following the 2006 visit by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
At the Government Headquarters, the two leaders viewed a photo exhibition commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Vietnam–Spain Strategic Partnership in 2024, and in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2027.
Following the welcoming ceremony, the prime ministers posed for photographs at the grand hall of the Government Headquarters before proceeding to official talks.
The high-level meeting between the two governments highlighted the growing cooperation between Vietnam and Spain.
Vietnam and Spain established diplomatic relations on May 23, 1977, and upgraded ties to a Strategic Partnership for the Future in December 2009.
Spain is currently Vietnam’s eighth-largest trading partner within the European Union, while Vietnam is Spain’s largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Spain was the first EU member state to establish a Strategic Partnership with Vietnam and was among the first to ratify the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement.
During the visit, the two leaders also witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements at the Government Headquarters.
The agreements are expected to cover areas such as investment, agriculture, political consultations, culture, sports, and cooperation between the countries’ diplomatic academies.
