Vietnam, Finland firms sign multiple MoUs on satellite, cybersecurity, aviation partnerships

A series of cooperation agreements were signed between Vietnam and Finland on Tuesday, within the framework of Party chief To Lam's official visit to Helsinki, while bilateral relationship was lifted to a "strategic partnership".

Viettel Group signed with Finland's ICEYE an MoU on research and development of Earth observation satellite technology.

The Vietnamese military-run telecom giant also inked an MoU with Nokia Corporation on digital transformation and development of next-generation telecom infrastructure in Vietnam, including acceleration of 5G/6G, Open RAN, AI, and Data Center applications.

Another telecom giant, state-owned VNPT, signed an MoU with Nokia on developing VNPT’s radio access network in Hanoi, border provinces, and southern Vietnam during 2025-2026.

VNPT also inked an MoU with F-Secure Group on strategic cooperation in protecting citizens from cyberattacks and online fraud and expanding cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region.

Another MoU is one between Vietjet Aviation JSC, owner of a budget carrier, and Airways Aviation Group on cooperation in training high-quality human resources for the international aviation industry.

In Helsinki, Party General Secretary Ta Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation met with leading Finnish enterprises as part of his official visit.

At a meeting, Finnish Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen noted that bilateral diplomatic relations have developed for more than 50 years, with economic and trade ties growing strongly in recent years. Vietnam has become Finland’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, he said.

The Minister emphasized that Finnish enterprises have been active partners in Vietnam’s growth, particularly in clean energy, digitalization, information technology, construction, maritime, and water management.

Finland sees Vietnam not only as a dynamic and fast-growing market, but also as a partner in building smart, green, and sustainable growth, he stressed.

Marttinen added that Finland recognizes great potential to deepen cooperation with Vietnam in developing a resilient economy that can thrive in a green and digital future, affirming Finland’s readiness to work with Vietnam to elevate bilateral relations to a new level.

Representatives from leading Finnish companies in circular economy, manufacturing, energy, technology, services, and infrastructure shared ideas, experiences, and specific cooperation orientations.

They proposed new cooperation initiatives aligned with global development trends and the strategic interests of both nations.

In his remarks, Party chief To Lam announced that, during his official visit, Vietnam and Finland have upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership - a major milestone that will help further strengthen trade and investment ties which are key pillars of bilateral cooperation.

The Vietnamese top leader expressed appreciation for the open and pragmatic spirit of Finnish businesses which are among the world’s leaders in innovation, green technology, and efficient governance.

He affirmed that trade and investment cooperation remain a solid foundation and key driver of the bilateral relationship.

Welcoming Finnish proposals in circular economy development, he reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to continuously improving its business environment and building a dynamic and transparent market economy driven by innovation and human-centered growth.

Lam encouraged both business communities to enhance exchanges and partnerships in fields where both sides share strengths and mutual interests, such as renewable energy, clean industry, environmental technology, forest resource management, education, science and technology, and innovation.

Later in the afternoon, To Lam and the delegation visited the Nokia headquarters and its Experience Center in Finland.

Earlier the same day, Lam held talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

President Stubb said he welcomed this as the first official visit by a Party General Secretary of Vietnam to Finland since diplomatic relations were established, affirming that Finland highly values relations with Vietnam, its most important trading partner in Southeast Asia.

Both leaders discussed major strategic orientations to further strengthen cooperation commensurate with the current potential of the two countries.

They agreed to promote collaboration in various areas, especially in circular economy, green transition, sustainable maritime cooperation, digital transformation, environmental protection, and climate change response.

Lam reiterated that Vietnam will facilitate Finnish investment and is ready to act as a bridge for Finland to access both the EU and ASEAN markets.

He proposed that Finland advocate for the remaining seven EU member states to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support the European Commission (EC) in removing the IUU “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood exports.

The Party chief urged Finland to encourage its enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam in areas of Finnish strength, such as green technology, processing technology, energy transition, and logistics services.

In response, President Alexander Stubb affirmed that Finland is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in areas of mutual strength and interest, including circular economy, forestry, science and technology, education and training, and climate change adaptation.

On this occasion, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents.

The documents include an MoU on cooperation in environment, biodiversity, and climate change between Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and Finland's Ministry of the Environment; an MoU between Vietnam's Ministry of Finance and Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on support and promotion of project preparation and implementation under Finland’s public investment program; and an MoU between Vietnam's Ministry of Finance and Finland’s Export Credit Agency.