Top Finnish legislator begins official visit to Việt Nam

Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-aho and a high-ranking delegation of the Finnish Parliament arrived in Hà Nội on Sunday

Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Jussi Halla-aho and a high-ranking delegation of the Finnish Parliament arrived in Hà Nội at noon on Sunday, beginning a three-day official visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vương Đình Huệ.

The delegation was welcomed at the Nội Bài International Airport by Vice Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Foreign Affairs Lê Anh Tuấn and Finnish Ambassador to Việt Nam Keijo Norvanto, among others.

This is the first visit to a country outside Europe by Jussi Halla-aho since he took office and he is visiting only Việt Nam this time, showing Việt Nam's special position in Finland's foreign policy, as well as the good friendship between the two legislatures.

The visit also aims to mark the 50th founding anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations (1973 - 2023).

The visit is expected to help strengthen the cooperative relations between the two countries in various areas, Đôn Tuấn Phong, Vice Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Foreign Affairs, spoke to the media ahead of the visit.

According to the official, over the past 51 years, the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries have been maintained and developed well. Finland always gives Việt Nam much attention and support.

Finland has continuously provided non-refundable aid to Việt Nam since the two countries established diplomatic relations. Economic-trade-investment cooperation is a top priority in their relations.

Two-way trade has continuously increased, reaching nearly US$380 million in 2023. However, it is still a modest number, especially in the context of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) taking effect in 2020.

Regarding investment, Finland currently ranks 58th out of 140 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam with 35 valid projects worth over $47 million, which also remains modest rate compared to Finland's economic potential and strengths, Phong said.