Hanoi, August 12, 2026 — The Europe Today: Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten held high-level telephone talks on Tuesday, agreeing on new directions to deepen bilateral cooperation and elevate the Vietnam–Netherlands comprehensive partnership to a new level.
The conversation was held in an open, sincere and trustful atmosphere, during which the two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral relations and discussed ways to capitalize on the considerable potential and complementary strengths of the two countries.
Prime Minister Hưng congratulated the Netherlands on its socio-economic and foreign policy achievements and expressed appreciation for its recognition of Vietnam as a leading strategic partner in the region under its new foreign policy. He reaffirmed Vietnam’s importance attached to its multifaceted cooperation with the Netherlands and its desire to further strengthen bilateral ties.
The two leaders noted that the rapidly evolving global and regional environment presents significant opportunities for expanded cooperation. They highlighted the Netherlands’ strengths in science and technology, innovation and high-tech industries, alongside Vietnam’s growing demand for new drivers of economic growth, science, technology and innovation as it enters a new development phase.
Prime Minister Hưng proposed increasing high-level and other delegation exchanges to strengthen political trust and create conditions for upgrading bilateral relations. He also called for continued coordination and mutual support at multilateral and international forums.
Highlighting the Netherlands as Vietnam’s largest investor among EU member states and one of its leading EU trading partners, the Vietnamese Prime Minister proposed making economic, trade, investment and financial cooperation key pillars of bilateral relations.
He urged both sides to make fuller use of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and encouraged the Dutch parliament to accelerate ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), which would help facilitate market expansion for businesses from both countries.
Prime Minister Hưng also proposed linking the financial and securities markets of the two countries and attracting international resources to support the development of Vietnam’s international financial centre and capital market.
He called for more effective implementation of the two existing strategic partnerships covering climate change response and water management, established in 2010, and sustainable agriculture and food security, established in 2014.
The Vietnamese Prime Minister further proposed strengthening cooperation in green and digital transformation and sustainable development, while identifying science, technology and innovation as a potential new pillar of bilateral relations.
He suggested that the two sides finalize agreements on science and technology, innovation and semiconductor technology at an early date, with a focus on developing research and development centres, training highly qualified human resources and connecting Vietnamese companies with Dutch semiconductor enterprises, particularly technology giant ASML.
In education, culture and people-to-people exchanges, Prime Minister Hưng called on the Netherlands to increase scholarships and expand opportunities for Vietnamese students to pursue priority fields, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, science and technology, and the blue marine economy.
He also proposed simplifying visa procedures for Vietnamese tourists and continuing support for the Vietnamese community in the Netherlands so that it can integrate successfully and continue serving as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.
For his part, Prime Minister Rob Jetten spoke highly of Vietnam’s ambitious development objectives, particularly its target of sustaining double-digit GDP growth, describing the goal as a major opportunity for the two countries to expand cooperation.
The Dutch Prime Minister said the Netherlands wishes to become an important partner of Vietnam in the region and stands ready to broaden and deepen bilateral relations, including with a view to upgrading the existing partnership.
Prime Minister Jetten expressed his intention to send Dutch business and other delegations to Vietnam to explore new opportunities, expand cooperation and increase the Netherlands’ presence in the Vietnamese market and the wider region.
He also praised the positive contributions of the Vietnamese community to Dutch society.
Regarding tourism and people-to-people exchanges, Prime Minister Jetten welcomed Vietnam’s visa exemption for Dutch tourists and highlighted the launch by Vietnam Airlines of a direct route between the two countries in June 2026. He said the new air connection would facilitate travel, strengthen people-to-people links, promote tourism and broaden bilateral cooperation.
Prime Minister Jetten also stressed the Netherlands’ commitment to actively accelerating the ratification of EVIPA.
The two leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern and emphasized the strategic importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region and globally in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The first telephone conversation between the two Prime Ministers concluded successfully, establishing new directions for bilateral cooperation and opening promising prospects for further advancing the Vietnam–Netherlands comprehensive partnership.
