Hanoi, April 16, 2025 — The Europe Today: Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on Tuesday received Ethiopian Prime Minister and President of the Prosperity Party (PP), Abiy Ahmed Ali, who is on an official visit to Vietnam and will also attend the 4th Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) Summit from April 14–17.
Party leader Tô Lâm warmly welcomed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s visit, noting it as the first by a high-level Ethiopian leader since diplomatic ties between the two countries were established on February 23, 1976. He emphasized the special significance of the visit, which comes as Việt Nam and Ethiopia prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2026 and as Việt Nam celebrates the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the south and national reunification in 2025.
General Secretary Lâm expressed his confidence that the visit would elevate the relationship between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Prosperity Party, as well as the overall bilateral friendship and cooperation, to a new phase of more comprehensive and effective development.
Reaffirming Vietnam’s longstanding commitment to strengthening ties with African countries, including Ethiopia, the Vietnamese leader suggested that both nations identify priority areas of cooperation, especially in agriculture, trade, investment, science and technology, and people-to-people and business exchanges.
He also welcomed the plan by Ethiopian Airlines to launch a direct flight route connecting Addis Ababa and Hà Nội in July, which will mark the first direct air link between Vietnam and the African continent.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali expressed admiration for Vietnam’s achievements in rapid and sustainable socio-economic development and environmental protection, voicing his hope for increased cooperation and experience-sharing. He also conveyed his confidence in Vietnam’s successful hosting of the P4G Summit, affirming the country’s growing role and credibility on the global stage.
The Ethiopian leader welcomed the growing ties between the two ruling parties, noting their shared values and potential for deeper collaboration. He reiterated Ethiopia’s desire to strengthen bilateral relations across key sectors such as investment, science and technology, agriculture, education and training, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Both sides agreed to bolster exchanges of delegations at all levels and to expand cooperation channels between their respective parties. They also committed to enhancing training programs and experience-sharing efforts between the CPV and PP while encouraging increased engagement between their peoples.
General Secretary Lâm acknowledged the signing of several cooperation documents during the visit and urged relevant agencies from both sides to expedite negotiations on additional agreements to complete the legal framework for bilateral cooperation. He also proposed establishing representative offices in each other’s countries to facilitate further partnership.
Highlighting the shared responsibility of Vietnam and Ethiopia in tackling regional and global challenges, Lâm called for continued coordination and mutual support in multilateral forums, including the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. He encouraged the two countries to serve as bridges between ASEAN and the African Union.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed extended an invitation to Party General Secretary Tô Lâm to visit Ethiopia. Lâm responded positively, expressing his intent to visit at an appropriate time to further strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two parties and nations.
