During a working session with Mr Salvador Illa, President of the Government of Catalonia, Vice President of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Nguyen Quang Vinh set out strategic directions to drive economic cooperation, investment, and business connectivity between both sides.

Catalonia stands as one of the principal economic drivers of Spain and Europe, boasting a highly developed industrial, innovation, and logistics ecosystem. As Viet Nam accelerates its international economic integration and targets double-digit growth in the coming years, Catalonia is viewed as a high-potential partner for expanding ties in high-tech, logistics, pharmaceuticals, high-tech agriculture, chemicals, and green economy.

The VCCI Vice President noted that VCCI has recently signed an MoU with the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce to establish a long-term framework for business cooperation. Under this agreement, both organisations will step up the exchange of market intelligence, share best practices in business development, facilitate trade and investment promotion, and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese and Catalan enterprises to explore tangible partnerships.

Through the extensive network of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, VCCI hopes to attract more Spanish businesses—particularly those from Catalonia—to expand their footprint in Viet Nam. Furthermore, Mr Vinh expressed his desire to see active Spanish participation in upcoming international events organised by VCCI for APEC 2027, such as the CEO Summit and various regional business forums.

Simultaneously, in his capacity as Chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Viet Nam, Mr Vinh underscored his ambition to deepen ties between Catalonia’s business community and ASEAN. This will allow companies to capitalize effectively on a market of over 680 million people and leverage Viet Nam's broad network of free trade agreements.

At the meeting, both sides acknowledged that historical relations between Catalonia and Viet Nam have largely developed within the wider Viet Nam–Spain framework, alongside direct engagement between the Catalan regional government and local Vietnamese authorities, trade promotion bodies, and business communities.

Barcelona is also recognised as one of Europe's premier startup and innovation hubs, housing numerous research institutes, universities, and tech firms—with particular strength in artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, biomedicine, digital technologies, and green transition.

Bilateral trade volumes between Viet Nam and Catalonia currently account for a substantial share of total Viet Nam–Spain trade. This is largely driven by the fact that the bulk of import and export goods between the two nations are cleared through the Port of Barcelona, one of the largest maritime gateways in the Mediterranean.

Viet Nam’s main exports to Catalonia comprise electronics, mobile phones and components, textiles, footwear, wooden furniture, agricultural produce, seafood, and coffee. In return, Viet Nam primarily imports machinery, industrial equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, raw manufacturing materials, and foodstuffs.

Catalonia stands out as one of Spain’s most dynamic regions in driving international collaboration across innovation, digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, logistics, biomedicine, and education and training. These areas align seamlessly with Viet Nam’s development strategies for its next growth phase, presenting vast potential for further expansion.

On behalf of Catalonia, President Salvador Illa affirmed that Viet Nam is one of Spain’s key partners in South East Asia, emphasizing that this visit demonstrates the Catalan Government’s resolve to elevate bilateral economic relations to new heights.

According to Mr Illa, South East Asia in general and Viet Nam in particular are becoming strategically vital to Catalonia’s economic diversification strategy. He appreciates Viet Nam’s socio-economic achievements, highlighting its manufacturing competitiveness, deep integration into global supply chains, and increasingly attractive investment climate.

The Catalan President noted that a number of Catalan enterprises have already invested successfully in Viet Nam and expressed confidence that there remains enormous scope for cooperation. He hopes to see a growing number of Vietnamese businesses investing in Catalonia, leveraging the region as a strategic gateway into the Spanish and European Union markets.

A major point of mutual interest during discussions was the enhancement of transport and tourism linkages. Both parties agreed that assessing the feasibility of direct flights between Viet Nam and Barcelona could serve as a powerful catalyst for trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

In addition, both sides explored the possibility of organising delegation visits for Vietnamese businesses to assess the investment climate in Catalonia, identify prospective partners, and broaden cooperation in areas of mutual strength and complementarity. Key sectors include trade and investment; logistics, ports, and supply chain management; green transition, circular economy, and renewable energy; high-tech manufacturing, AI, biotechnology, and biomedicine; innovation, startups, and digital transformation; as well as education, vocational training, and academic research partnerships.

The Catalan delegation also expressed a strong desire to increase its presence at ASEAN economic forums and foster closer cooperation between the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and ASEAN-BAC, thereby broadening connections with the wider regional business community.

Concluding the working session, Mr Nguyen Quang Vinh and Mr Salvador Illa agreed to continuously push forward collaborative frameworks between VCCI, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and the Government of Catalonia. These efforts aim to create optimal conditions for businesses on both sides to expand investment, trade, and innovation, driving Viet Nam–Spain economic relations towards deeper, more impactful, and sustainable growth in the years ahead.