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Published 19 days ago • loading... • Updated 18 days ago
Estonian foreign minister visits Vietnam to boost tech, trade ties
Estonia offered e-governance expertise as the two countries discussed education, investment protection and seafood export restrictions.
On Wednesday, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in Hanoi to deepen cooperation in trade, technology, and digital transformation, with Vietnam designated as a priority country in the region.
Relations between Estonia and Vietnam have accelerated in recent years, building on digital cooperation agreements the two countries signed in 2025 to strengthen bilateral ties.
Although Estonia's GDP accounts for just 0.2% of the European Union's total, Tsahkna offered the country's digital expertise to help Vietnam reduce bureaucracy and improve transparency, with Vietnam proposing an education cooperation agreement.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung asked Estonia to urge the European Union to ratify an Investment Protection Agreement and support lifting the European Commission's "yellow card" restricting seafood exports for illegal fishing.
Tsahkna noted that Estonia's outreach is driven by geopolitical pressures and economic opportunity, as President Donald Trump's criticism of European defense spending compels Europe to seek new partnerships in Southeast Asia while Vietnam maintains neutrality on Ukraine.