Hanoi (VNA) · After more than three decades of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Slovenia still have considerable room to deepen bilateral ties and expand cooperation in areas of shared interest, Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia Vu Le Thai Hoang said during a meeting with Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tone Kajzer.
The meeting in Ljubljana on October 8 focused on advancing cooperation priorities agreed by the two countries' foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
Hoang congratulated Kajzer on his appointment and Slovenia on completing its term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
He called on Slovenia to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, or EVIPA, at an early date and support the European Union's removal of the yellow card warning imposed on Vietnamese seafood over illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. He also proposed strengthening links between Slovenia's Port of Koper and Vietnamese seaports, while promoting business and local-level partnerships.
Kajzer, who took office in June 2026 under Prime Minister Janez Jansa's government, welcomed the outcome of his talks with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung in New York.
He said bilateral agreements should be turned into concrete cooperation programmes, adding that Slovenia considers Vietnam an important partner in Southeast Asia. He also commended Vietnam's economic achievements and growing international standing.
The two sides agreed to promote economic, trade and investment links, focusing on science and technology, artificial intelligence, innovation, biotechnology, green energy, nuclear power and logistics.
They also discussed cooperation in labour and vocational training, particularly in healthcare, nursing and elderly care.
Kajzer expressed interest in cooperation models for training Vietnamese workers that have been implemented in other European countries, including Germany and Austria. He agreed to explore whether similar programmes could be applied in Slovenia.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen coordination at multilateral forums, uphold international law and multilateralism, and support the role of the United Nations. They discussed ASEAN-EU cooperation and exchanges on maritime issues, ocean affairs and freedom of navigation in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.
VNA
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
