Brussels – Strengthening “bilateral cooperation, regional security, and global challenges.” This is the central theme of the joint statement signed today (22 October) in Brussels by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Tô Lâm.
In the document, the EU and Vietnam recognised “the importance of strengthening resilience, diversifying partnerships and promoting stability and prosperity in the Indo‑Pacific, including through the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo‑Pacific” – the action plan launched in September 2021 to strengthen the EU’s presence and its political, economic, and security role in the region stretching from the east coast of Africa to the Pacific islands. Accordingly, the two parties “welcomed” a new impetus in their relations after having already decided in January 2026 to upgrade their bilateral ties to a “Global Strategic Partnership”.
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