Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a red-carpet welcome ceremony in Hanoi on April 9 morning for his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez who is paying an official visit to Vietnam from April 8 to 10.

This marks the first visit by a Spanish Prime Minister to Vietnam since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1977, and also the first official to Vietnam visit by a high-ranking Spanish leader in 19 years, following that of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia in 2006.

PM Chinh expressed his delight to meet his Spanish counterpart again after their meeting during the G20 Summit in Brazil in November 2024.

Following the ceremony, the two PMs visited a photo exhibition spotlighting the Vietnam-Spain relations as well as the land and people of the two countries, before starting their talks.

During his stay, PM Sánchez is scheduled to meet with leaders of Vietnam’s Party, State, and National Assembly. He will also undertake other significant activities in Hanoi and visit Ho Chi Minh City.

Over the past 48 years, Vietnam-Spain relations have continuously developed, with expanded cooperation in various fields, particularly since the two countries established a Strategic Partnership towards the Future in 2009.

The relationship has been built on mutual trust and understanding, with frequent exchanges of delegations at various levels. Both countries actively collaborate and support each other in multilateral forums, especially within the United Nations and ASEAN-EU frameworks.

The bilateral economic and trade relations have made significant progress. The two countries have effectively implemented the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) since August 2020. Spain ratified the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) in January 2022.

Spain is Vietnam’s fifth-largest trading partner in the EU, while Vietnam is Spain’s largest trade partner in ASEAN. In 2024, bilateral trade reached 4.72 billion USD. As of January 2025, Spain had 97 projects in Vietnam, amounting to 143.9 million USD in investment, making it the 46th-largest investor in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnam has three investment projects in Spain, with a total value of 64.2 million USD.

Vietnam is also one of Spain's priority countries for development cooperation, with Spain commiting over 1 billion USD in official development assistance (ODA) and non-refundable aid through six cooperation programmes.

In education and training, the two countries have focused on language training, supported by the Cervantes Institute and Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). From 1998 to 2018, Spain awarded 285 scholarships to Vietnamese students.

Cultural, sports, and tourism cooperation between the two nations has been fostered through agreements, cultural exchange events, art performances, film festivals, exhibitions, and tourism promotion in both countries. Vietnam currently grants visa exemptions for Spanish citizens for stays of up to 45 days. In 2024, Vietnam welcomed 91,400 Spanish tourists. The Vietnamese community in Spain is estimated at around 5,000 people, primarily small traders who have integrated well into Spanish society.

Vietnam and Spain are now sharing many common benefits with great opportunity to deepen their strategic partnership. Therefore, PM Sánchez’s official visit is of great significance, demonstrating Spain’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Vietnam. This visit will help promote diplomatic, economic, and trade relations between the two countries and drive efforts to elevate the bilateral relationship to new heights, with tangible and effective outcomes.

During the visit, both sides are expected to discuss measures to enhance political trust, strengthen the existing foundations of their relationship, and open up new opportunities for cooperation in potential areas, including politics and diplomacy, economy, trade, investment, science and technology, infrastructure, urban transport, sustainable development, and renewable energy. A number of important cooperation agreements are also expected to be signed during the visit./.