2 major lessons learned from 55 years of Vietnam - Denmark friendly relations

According to VNA, within the framework of the State visit to the Kingdom of Denmark, on the afternoon of October 19 (local time), General Secretary and President To Lam delivered a policy speech at the University of Copenhagen: "From fairy tales to the sky of Vietnam-Denmark cooperation in the new era".

Attending were Danish Parliament Speaker Henrik Frandsen; senior delegates from Vietnam and Denmark; a large number of professors, lecturers, scientists, students and close friends of Vietnam.

General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that the nearly 9,000km distance between Hanoi and Copenhagen has never been a barrier when the two nations always have respect and sincere feelings for each other.

Today, more than 150 Danish businesses are operating in Vietnam with many pioneering and large-scale projects. After 55 years of establishing diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation has transformed from one-way support to multi-dimensional, mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, education, health, people-to-people exchanges and now continues to expand to energy, climate, and technology.

From the 55-year journey of friendship, General Secretary and President To Lam pointed out that there are 2 major lessons learned:

First, the relationship has been tested through historical ups and downs to create a deep foundation of trust - a solid foundation for a new development chapter.

Second, the content of cooperation needs to flexibly transform with the times; following the Comprehensive Partnership (2013) and the Green Strategic Partnership 2023, the two countries need a more comprehensive and strategic "new cooperation model" - where Denmark's strengths in science, technology, and green transformation meet Vietnam's political determination and rapid and sustainable development potential.

General Secretary and President To Lam clearly stated that Vietnam and Denmark found a core intersection: spirit of self-reliance and self-strengthening; respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; uphold international law, multilateralism and always keep the door for dialogue and cooperation wide open.

General Secretary and President To Lam proposed raising the level of cooperation from Green Strategic Partnership to a more strategic and comprehensive framework of relations. This is an inevitable step to make bilateral cooperation a typical model between an ASEAN country and a Nordic partner, helping the two countries become the gateway and strategic bridge of each other at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU).

Innovating economic cooperation methods, shifting from support to co-creation, creating new values for the two countries. Vietnam and Denmark not only complement each other in terms of markets, resources and technology but also share similar benefits in building safe supply chains and maintaining free trade.

Becoming priority partners of each other in science and technology, green transformation, equitable energy transition and climate change response, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that Vietnam pursues rapid growth but absolutely does not trade off the environment or suffer technological backwardness. Therefore, science and technology, green transformation and energy transition must become a breakthrough field that is symbolic for bilateral relations.

General Secretary and President To Lam proposed to take human connection, education and training, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges as the long-term foundation of bilateral relations.

The two countries need to develop joint research groups, jointly guide postgraduate students and share infrastructure to form a generation of long-term intellectuals.

In particular, Vietnam proposed that the University of Copenhagen study opening a branch in Vietnam and committed to creating the most favorable conditions in terms of taxes and land to serve Vietnamese students as well as Southeast Asian regions.

Finally, the Vietnamese community in Denmark (especially experts, scientists, entrepreneurs and students) is an important bridge to promote cooperation opportunities and connect young generations of the two countries.

The two countries need to continue to closely coordinate at the United Nations and multilateral forums, while promoting ASEAN-Denmark and ASEAN-EU relations to become more substantive.

As maritime nations, Vietnam hopes that Denmark will support efforts to ensure maritime security, safety and freedom in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

When sharing those common values, Vietnam-Denmark relations will go beyond the bilateral framework to make a positive contribution to a peaceful, fair and sustainable world.

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