Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to Hanoi marked a breakthrough in Polish diplomacy — Warsaw and Hanoi formally elevated their bilateral relations to the status of strategic partnership. During the meeting with the head of the Vietnamese government, Lê Minh Hưng, the leaders focused on new dimensions of cooperation extending beyond previous frameworks. The main goal of the visit was to open new doors for Polish business, strengthen security, and facilitate cultural and scientific contacts between the two countries.

New Economic Horizons

Prime Minister Tusk emphasized that Vietnam is one of Poland's key partners in Asia, and that the potential of both economies remains fully untapped. Special attention was paid to sectors where Polish companies hold a strong position: the defense industry, satellite and space technologies, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. Among agricultural and food products for export, dairy products were particularly highlighted.

According to data cited during the talks, the scale of the Polish economy is impressive to Vietnamese partners — Poland's current GDP is comparable to the combined gross domestic product of Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. This serves as an argument for increasing the presence of Polish companies in the Vietnamese market, which — as assured by Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng — will be as widely open as possible to Polish capital.

Aviation Impulse for Business

Concrete support for the new relations is expected from the development of air transport. It was announced that PLL LOT plans to launch a direct Warsaw–Hanoi connection in the first quarter of 2027. The new route is intended to facilitate mobility for entrepreneurs, scientists, and tourists, becoming one of the main factors in growing trade turnover.

Scientific and Tourism Cooperation

During the visit, documents regulating exchanges in education and culture were signed. The Minister of Science and Higher Education and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training concluded an agreement on cooperation in higher education and scientific research. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism and the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism signed a memorandum on mutual tourism contacts. Additionally, further visa facilitations were discussed — last year, the visa requirement for Polish tourists was already abolished, and discussions are ongoing regarding broader simplifications for other categories of travelers.

Staffing Issues at the Embassy

Although the visit was primarily of a business-economic nature, Prime Minister Tusk reiterated his appeal to President Karol Nawrocki regarding the approval of the ambassadorial nomination. As noted, the lack of formal acceptance of the nomination by the head of state hinders the work of the Polish ambassador in Hanoi, limiting diplomatic capabilities compared to representatives of other European countries.

Decisions

  • Establishment of strategic partnership between Poland and Vietnam (all-political agreement)
  • Signing of an agreement on cooperation in higher education and scientific research between the Minister of Science and Higher Education and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training
  • Signing of a memorandum on cooperation in the field of tourism between the Ministry of Sport and Tourism and the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism