EU and Viet Nam pledge to build on strategic partnership as To Lam meets Costa and von der Leyen in Brussels

President of Viet Nam To Lam met European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on 22 October 2026 for talks on bilateral cooperation, regional security and global challenges, according to a joint press release published by the Council of the EU.

To Lam holds two posts, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam’s Central Committee and President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and the release is titled after both.

Trade, investment and raw materials

The two sides called for full implementation of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement and for quick approval of the Investment Protection Agreement, according to the joint release as published in full by Vietnamese state media. They also agreed to work on cooperation in critical raw materials and referred to the EU’s Global Gateway investments and the Just Energy Transition Partnership. Technology and innovation, education and training, the green transition, strategic infrastructure, the circular economy and the blue economy were also on the list of areas for deeper work. The release does not list any signed documents.

Security and the Indo-Pacific

The text records that the sides see scope for cooperation on defence and security within each side’s laws and policies, including maritime safety, cybersecurity, crisis management and capacity-building. It also covers stability in the Indo-Pacific and the EU’s Indo-Pacific cooperation approach. The leaders committed to “effective multilateralism and a rules-based international order”, a phrase quoted from the release.

Human rights and ASEAN

According to the release, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to human rights, which are discussed in a dedicated bilateral dialogue. The joint release does not describe any specific case.

The sides also looked ahead to an EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in 2027, which will mark 50 years of relations between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and welcomed Viet Nam’s role in ASEAN.

Background

The EU and Viet Nam upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in January 2026, when Costa visited Viet Nam, the Council said at the time in a joint statement. The October talks in Brussels follow that step and set out the areas where the two sides intend to build on it.

Source: Council of the EU, joint press release of 22 October 2026.