General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will make a state visit to Denmark and official visits to the European Union (EU) and Belgium from October 19 to 24. Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang made the announcement at the ministry's regular press briefing on October 15.
The visits will take place at the invitation of King Frederik X and the Queen of Denmark, European Council President António Costa and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Vietnam and Denmark maintain friendly relations. Over 55 years of diplomatic ties, the two countries have built a strong foundation for cooperation. They established a strategic partnership on climate change, energy, the environment and green growth in November 2011, a Comprehensive Partnership in September 2013, and a green strategic partnership in November 2023.
The two sides maintain effective exchanges of delegations at all levels and high-level meetings. Denmark is one of the EU's leading investors in Vietnam and a notable Nordic partner in high-quality investment and green development. Vietnam is one of the main investment destinations for Danish businesses in Southeast Asia.
During European Council President António Costa's visit to Vietnam in January 2026, Vietnam and the EU officially upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Vietnam became the EU's first comprehensive strategic partner in Southeast Asia and the only ASEAN member with all cooperation pillars in place with the bloc.
Political relations with the EU operate at two levels: between Vietnam and the EU, and between Vietnam and individual EU member states. These ties continue to strengthen across all fields. After six years of implementation, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has produced positive results. Vietnam has become the EU's largest merchandise trading partner among ASEAN countries, while the EU is Vietnam's fourth-largest trading partner and sixth-largest investor.
Belgium and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1973. In 2018, they upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership in agriculture, which has produced positive results. They maintain high-level exchanges and meetings at regional and international forums. Economically, Belgium is Vietnam's sixth-largest trading partner in the EU, while Vietnam is Belgium's largest trading partner in ASEAN.
According to Pham Thu Hang, during his visit to Denmark, General Secretary and President To Lam is expected to meet the Danish King, hold talks with the Danish Prime Minister and meet the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, along with taking part in other important diplomatic activities.
In the EU, he is expected to hold talks and meetings with the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.
In Belgium, Vietnam's top leader is expected to hold talks with the Belgian Prime Minister and meet the King, the President of the Senate and the President of the House of Representatives, as well as take part in other diplomatic activities.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
