The EU and Vietnam will strengthen ties during a visit by European Council President Antonio Costa to Hanoi next Thursday, an EU official said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.
The agency notes that both the EU and Vietnam are seeking to expand their international partnerships amid the turmoil caused by U.S. tariffs.
The visit comes on the heels of the re-election of To Lam on Friday as general secretary of the ruling Vietnamese Communist Party for the next five years. Costa will be the first high-ranking foreign leader to meet Lam, who has vowed to boost the export-led economy since his re-election.
The top-level boost to ties with Vietnam had been planned for months but was delayed mainly due to Costa's scheduling difficulties, the EU official said. It would put the EU on a par with China, the United States and Russia, expanding Vietnam's growing partnerships in line with the country's strategy to strengthen relations with major powers.
The European Council and the Vietnamese government did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. The agency notes that these steps are largely symbolic, as they only lead to more frequent high-level meetings and usually do not include binding agreements.
Vietnam's relations with the United States deteriorated last year after the administration of President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on that country, despite the strengthening of bilateral ties under the administration of former US President Joe Biden after his visit to Hanoi in late 2023.