Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on 23 April to discuss enhancing cooperation between Estonia and Vietnam in trade, technology, and digital transformation. In recent years, the relationship between the two nations has intensified, leading to the signing of agreements on digital cooperation in 2025.
Despite accounting for only 0.2% of the European Union’s total GDP, Estonia distinguishes itself through its advanced digital expertise and innovative e-governance practices. The Estonian government is eager to share this knowledge with Vietnam, which is pursuing significant reforms to achieve high-income economy status by 2045.
Minister Tsahkna emphasised that collaboration in digitalising services could help Vietnam streamline bureaucratic processes, enhance transparency, and reduce costs.
“It is much quicker for citizens to be part of public sector services,” he told The Associated Press in Hanoi, adding that Vietnam had proposed an education cooperation agreement.
Prime Minister Hung has requested that Estonia advocate for the European Union to ratify an Investment Protection Agreement and support initiatives to lift the European Commission’s “yellow card,“ which currently restricts imports of Vietnamese seafood over concerns about illegal fishing, as reported by state media.
Minister Tsahkna indicated that Estonia could serve as a gateway for Vietnamese businesses seeking to penetrate the European market, while simultaneously providing Estonia with access to a larger market and a strategic foothold in Southeast Asia. He noted, “For us, Vietnam is one of the priority countries in the region.”
Moreover, discussions in Vietnam also offered an opportunity to articulate Europe’s perspective on Russia as an “existential threat.“ Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1950, Hanoi and Moscow have maintained a collaborative relationship, with Vietnam adopting a neutral stance regarding the war in Ukraine, advocating for peace without directly criticising Russia.
Tsahkna emphasised that Estonia’s outreach to Vietnam and Southeast Asia is motivated by both geopolitical considerations and economic opportunities, particularly in light of recent criticisms from US President Donald Trump regarding European defence spending, as well as ongoing tariff tensions that encourage Europe to seek new partnerships and avenues for collaboration.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
