Vietnam and Spain have agreed to strengthen their political and economic partnership during the sixth round of bilateral political consultations. The meeting brought senior officials from both countries together to review existing cooperation and discuss new areas for joint work.
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and Spanish State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs Diego Martínez Belío co-chaired the meeting at Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The talks took place on November 5 and were reported on November 7.
Both sides reviewed developments in their relationship and expressed satisfaction with progress in recent years. Cooperation has expanded across trade, investment, defence, healthcare, education, culture and tourism.
The two countries are also preparing to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027. Officials said regular exchanges and stronger coordination between their foreign ministries would help deepen the partnership.
Economic cooperation was an important part of the discussion. Vietnam welcomed the growth in bilateral trade and called for stronger implementation of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The agreement provides a framework for expanding commercial activity and improving access to markets.
Vietnam also asked Spain to support efforts to remove the European Union’s yellow-card warning on Vietnamese seafood linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Officials said progress on this issue would be important for the country’s seafood exports.
The two sides also discussed the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement. Vietnam encouraged Spain to support its approval by EU member states, saying it would create a stronger legal framework for investors and businesses.
Renewable energy and transport infrastructure were identified as areas with strong potential. Spain expressed interest in supporting projects that match Vietnam’s development needs and could benefit from Spanish expertise.
Education and healthcare were also included in the discussions. Both sides want to expand professional exchanges, student opportunities and cooperation between universities. They also discussed increasing Spanish-language teaching in Vietnam. The meeting reflects a wider effort to build stronger links ahead of the diplomatic anniversary. Both countries said they would continue working together on trade, education and international issues.
