Earlier, to promote co-operation in the labour sector between Viet Nam and Greece, on December 11, the Embassy of Viet Nam in Greece, in coordination with WorkInGreece (Greece), held a seminar titled “Unlocking potential: Vietnamese skilled workers as a strategic solution for the Greek labour market.”

This was the first time the Embassy of Viet Nam in Greece had worked with a Greek partner to organise a seminar in this field, helping businesses gain a deeper understanding of the labour-supply market, policies and current practice in Greece and Viet Nam. It also aimed to connect companies with a demand for foreign workers and Greek labour service providers with Vietnamese labour-supplying companies.

The event was attended by 12 Vietnamese labour-supplying companies with experience in providing Vietnamese workers to overseas markets, including Greece.

On the Greek side, there were more than 130 representatives from companies and businesses seeking workers in sectors including restaurants, hotels, agriculture, other employing organisations, as well as law firms and consulting offices, universities, and Greek press and media agencies.

According to Ambassador of Viet Nam to Greece Pham Thi Thu Huong, in the context of the two countries marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the organisation of the seminar reflected the embassy’s determination and efforts to make labour co-operation — an area with considerable potential that has yet to be fully tapped — more practical and effective, thereby contributing to stronger economic co-operation between the two countries.

“Last June, during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations Ocean Conference between the two Prime Ministers, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh agreed with the proposal by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that Greece is ready to receive skilled workers from Viet Nam,” Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong said.

According to statistics from the Department of Overseas Labour Management under the Ministry of Home Affairs, in recent years Viet Nam has sent nearly 160,000 workers abroad each year.

At present, around 800,000 Vietnamese workers are employed in 40 countries and territories, across more than 30 occupational groups.

European markets are consistently regarded as key destinations with demand for large numbers of foreign workers. In Greece alone, since late 2023, around 1,300 Vietnamese workers have arrived to take up employment. To facilitate co-operation in this field, the relevant authorities are negotiating and promoting the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two governments on labour supply.