Vietnam Prime Minister Le ê Minh Hung met with his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico in Hanoi on Monday, April 13th. The two leaders discussed strengthening the close ties between the Vietnamese and Slovakian people and elevating the Vietnam-Slovakia relationship to a strategic partnership level.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Le ê Minh Hung emphasized the strong traditional friendship between Vietnam and Slovakia, which has been cultivated over more than 76 years of relations marked by consistent support and mutual cooperation.
He highlighted that Vietnam prioritizes enhancing relations with traditional partners like Slovakia in its foreign policy, considering Slovakia a key partner in Central and Eastern Europe.
Prime Minister Robert Fico underlined that Vietnam is Slovakia’s main partner in Southeast Asia and one of the top three partners in Asia, emphasizing the historic significance of his official visit to Vietnam in moving the bilateral relations to a new level.
Both leaders discussed various bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest, expressing satisfaction with the dynamic development of cooperation in political and diplomatic areas, characterized by a high level of trust and regular exchanges at all levels.
They agreed to enhance the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms, especially by revitalizing the Vietnam-Slovakia Intergovernmental Committee on Economic Cooperation and maintaining regular political consultations at the vice-ministerial level of foreign affairs.
Economically, the two leaders noted that bilateral trade had reached around $1.78 billion in 2025 but acknowledged the potential for further growth. They pledged to make economic, trade, and investment cooperation a central pillar, aiming to double exchanges in the coming years and leveraging their respective positions as gateways to the EU and ASEAN markets.
They also discussed creating favorable conditions for businesses to access each other’s markets, particularly in information technology, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and automotive industries.
Expanding cooperation into key sectors like defense, security, crime fighting, energy, including nuclear and renewable sources, science and technology, education, culture, tourism, healthcare, and climate change mitigation was also agreed upon.
On labor mobility, both parties expressed readiness to engage in negotiations for a bilateral agreement and a potential visa exemption deal for official passport holders, as well as promoting tourism cooperation with the prospect of direct flights between Bratislava and Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
Regarding regional and international issues, they reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing coordination and mutual support in international forums, including at the United Nations, ASEAN-EU, and ASEM frameworks.
On the South China Sea issue, they stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, freedom of navigation, and peaceful dispute resolution in line with international law, particularly UNCLOS.
At the end of the meeting, a joint statement was adopted elevating the Vietnam-Slovakia relations to a “strategic partnership,” marking a significant milestone in the bilateral ties. Slovak Prime Minister invited his Vietnamese counterpart to make an official visit to Slovakia, which was accepted.
[Vietnam and Slovakia have been strengthening their ties in various sectors, aiming to deepen cooperation and mutual understanding.] [Fact Check: The content includes details of the discussions between the Vietnam and Slovakian Prime Ministers during the official visit, highlighting their commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation across different fields.]
