Taking place from January 15 to 23, these activities are made at the invitations of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visits to Poland and the Czech Republic are taking place in the context of Vietnam and the two countries solemnly celebrating their 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (1950-2025).

This is also the first official visit by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Poland in the past 15 years, and to the Czech Republic in 6 years, opening opportunities to elevate relations with the two countries, thereby promoting and deepening relations between Vietnam and the Central Eastern European region.

Since Vietnam-Poland relations were officially established in 1950, the time-honoured friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries have developed well. Poland is one of Vietnam’s leading trade partners in the Central Eastern European region, while Vietnam is Poland’s leading trade partner in Southeast Asia.

Bilateral trade in the 2021-2023 period reached more than 2.5 billion USD/year; in the first 10 months of 2024 reached 2.86 billion USD, up 21.8% compared to the same period in 2023. Poland was also one of the first countries in the European Union (EU) to support Vietnam during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bilateral cooperation in areas such as defence, security, education, training, agriculture, culture, and labour has developed well. Along with Poland, the time-honoured friendship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic has recorded positive developments. 75 years ago, the leaders of the two countries laid the first bricks in building a bridge of bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Since the official establishment of diplomatic relations in 1950, the two sides have regularly exchanged delegations at all levels, creating a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation to develop positively in various fields. The Czech Republic is one of Vietnam’s leading trade partners in Central Eastern Europe, while Vietnam is the Czech Republic’s most important partner in ASEAN.

Bilateral trade in the first 10 months of 2024 recorded a spectacular breakthrough, reaching 1.57 billion USD, up 90% over the same period in 2023. The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic has about 100,000 people, serving as a solid bridge in helping to further strengthen the understanding and solidarity between the two peoples.

One of the important highlights of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s working trip this time is his attendance at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos. WEF Davos 2025 takes place in the context of the world’s political, economic and security situation continuing to develop in a complicated and unpredictable manner.

With the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age”, the conference is expected to gather about 2,700 delegates, including about 60 heads of governments, states, and international organisations, royal representatives of countries, and leaders of many large corporations.

In recent times, cooperation between Vietnam and WEF has grown stronger and more substantial, notably with senior Vietnamese leaders regularly attending WEF’s annual conferences.

The PM’s participation in WEF Davos 2025 affirms Vietnam’s increasing role, position and international prestige, as well as Vietnam’s active and responsible contributions to multilateral forums, including WEF.

The trip to WEF Davos 2025 is a testament to Vietnam’s tireless efforts in maintaining peace and development and solving global issues. On the occasion, the prime minister will also hold a bilateral meeting in Switzerland, one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

After more than half a century of cooperation, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Switzerland has continuously developed, achieving many good results. The two sides maintain regular high-level contacts. Switzerland is an important trade partner of Vietnam in Europe.

Two-way trade in the first 10 months of 2024 reached 657 million USD. Based on the achievements of cooperation that Vietnam and Switzerland have achieved together over the past 50 years, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s bilateral meeting in Switzerland provides an opportunity for the two sides to continue looking to the future and find the best way to further promote bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Poland and the Czech Republic, his attendance at the 55th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and his bilateral working visit to Switzerland demonstrate Vietnam’s consistent policy of always attaching importance to and wishing to strengthen political trust while further deepening relations with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in a practical and effective manner, in line with the new situation, while also affirming Vietnam’s increasing role, position and international prestige.

May the prime minister’s visits crown great success, contributing to conveying the message of Vietnam’s determination and aspiration to enter a new era of development, the era of the nation’s rise.