Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and Prime Minister Robert Fico. Photo: Quốc Tuấn

On April 13 in Hanoi, the Vietnam–Slovakia Business Forum 2026 was held formally during the official visit to Vietnam by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The event gathered over 400 enterprises, along with representatives from ministries, agencies, and trade promotion organizations of both countries, marking a new milestone in the 76-year traditional friendship.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng delivers remarks at the event (Photo: Trường Đặng)

Turning the new Strategic Partnership into reality

In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng emphasized the special significance of the forum, held immediately after the two countries agreed to elevate their relationship to a Strategic Partnership.

“Both countries have adopted a Joint Statement on upgrading Vietnam–Slovakia relations to a Strategic Partnership. With this upgrade, Vietnam becomes the first Southeast Asian country to establish such a partnership with Slovakia. This reflects the long-standing close ties between the two nations and sends a strong message from both governments and their leaders to create new momentum and open up a broader strategic cooperation space.”

He stressed that the upgrade must go beyond diplomatic declarations and translate into tangible outcomes: “The key is to turn commitments into action and contribute to the development of both countries.”

Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks at the forum (Photo: Trường Đặng)

According to Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, cooperation potential remains substantial, as the two economies are complementary rather than directly competitive, enabling them to jointly create value chains targeting global markets.

To realize this vision, he outlined five priority sectors for business cooperation: high-tech industry, green energy, logistics, digital transformation, and education, especially training engineers and high-quality technical workers. He also reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Slovak investors.

On the Slovak side, Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed admiration for Vietnam’s dynamic, disciplined, and strategic development. He emphasized a practical approach to cooperation: “We are not here for formalities or photo opportunities. We are here to transform political trust into economic cooperation and create real business opportunities.”

He highlighted Slovakia’s strengths as the EU country with the highest industrial share of GDP and a global leader in per capita automobile production, expressing readiness to share expertise in areas such as nuclear energy and defense industry. He also welcomed Vietnamese investors and pledged equal conditions for Vietnamese workers in Slovakia.

VCCI: A sustainable bridge for the business community

Representing the Vietnamese business community, VCCI Vice President Nguyễn Quang Vinh delivered a key address, reaffirming VCCI’s role in promoting bilateral trade and investment.

VCCI Vice President Nguyễn Quang Vinh speaks at the forum (Photo: Trường Đặng)

He noted that the presence and direct guidance of both Prime Ministers clearly demonstrate the determination to elevate bilateral relations. “Slovakia lies at the heart of Central Europe, connecting Eastern and Western Europe, while Vietnam serves as a gateway to ASEAN. We have strong advantages to grow together.”

He proposed several concrete measures:

First, proactively leverage the EVFTA. Businesses should better utilize the Vietnam–EU Free Trade Agreement to boost trade turnover in 2026 and beyond.

Second, enhance infrastructure connectivity. Both sides should seriously consider launching direct flights and cargo routes to reduce costs and delivery time.

With a network of over 200,000 enterprises and 200 member associations, VCCI reaffirmed its role as an active bridge, supporting Slovak businesses in finding partners and investment opportunities in Vietnam. VCCI also committed to close coordination with the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency to create more meaningful networking opportunities.

The two Prime Ministers witness the exchange of seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between businesses of both countries (Photo: Trường Đặng)

At the forum, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the signing of seven MoUs between enterprises from both sides, covering key sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, finance, infrastructure, and environment. Following the opening session, B2B networking activities took place, generating numerous practical cooperation opportunities.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng praised the role of VCCI: “I highly appreciate the close coordination between VCCI, the Embassy of Slovakia in Vietnam, and the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency in successfully organizing this forum. The strong participation of businesses from both countries reflects their keen interest in expanding cooperation, contributing to the shared development of both nations as well as the region and the world.”