Seoul, November 01, 2025 – The Europe Today: President Lương Cường held a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Friday afternoon, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the Republic of Korea.
During the meetings, the leaders commended Việt Nam’s increasingly significant role and stature in the international arena and praised the country’s robust socio-economic development, ongoing reforms, and innovation-driven growth.
All sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening practical and effective bilateral cooperation with Việt Nam, prioritising key areas such as trade, investment, science and technology, digital transformation, and green transition. The leaders also emphasised collaboration in tackling global challenges, including climate change, natural disaster prevention, food security, and cybersecurity.
They further underscored the importance of coordination within major multilateral mechanisms, particularly ASEAN and APEC, to promote balanced and sustainable economic cooperation and to maintain peace, stability, and development across the region and the world.
Delegation heads congratulated Việt Nam on being chosen to host APEC 2027 for the third time and pledged close coordination to ensure its success.
In his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, President Cường extended the congratulations of Việt Nam’s top leadership on her recent election, expressing confidence that her leadership would bring Japan new achievements. Prime Minister Takaichi reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Việt Nam and expressed her intention to visit the country soon.
Meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, both sides expressed satisfaction with the strong progress of the Việt Nam–Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. President Cường lauded Malaysia’s role as ASEAN Chair in 2025 and its efforts in advancing ASEAN’s unity and centrality. Prime Minister Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia’s priority to deepen ties with Việt Nam as one of its key partners in the region.
During talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, President Cường welcomed the positive trajectory of bilateral relations following their upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Prime Minister Luxon praised Việt Nam’s robust economic growth and expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation in 2026 when Việt Nam chairs the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Ministerial Council.
In discussions with Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, President Cường reiterated Việt Nam’s readiness to enhance relations and act as a bridge between ASEAN and Pacific Island nations. Deputy Prime Minister Rosso expressed his intention to expand cooperation in trade, investment, and regional connectivity through Việt Nam.
Meeting with Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Teresa Stella Mera Gomez, President Cường reaffirmed Việt Nam’s appreciation for its growing friendship and multifaceted partnership with Peru. Minister Teresa lauded the success of Vietnamese investments, notably Viettel’s Bitel project, and expressed interest in expanding Vietnamese investment presence in Peru while pledging continued support for existing ventures.
In talks with Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, the two sides welcomed the recent momentum in bilateral cooperation, especially in finance, trade, and investment. President Cường urged effective implementation of agreements reached during Chief Executive Lee’s 2024 visit to Việt Nam and invited Hong Kong to share expertise in financial centre development. Lee expressed optimism about the growing partnership and said Hong Kong is ready to enhance exchanges and host Vietnamese delegations for cooperation and experience sharing.
Later in the evening, President of the Republic of Korea and his spouse hosted a grand banquet in honour of APEC leaders attending the summit.
