On March 3, Acting Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung held a courtesy meeting with Ioannis Plakiotakis, First Vice President of the Hellenic Parliament.

At the meeting, Acting Minister Hung expressed his confidence that trade cooperation between the two countries would continue to expand in the coming years, and that Greece, as a member of the EU, would serve as an important bridge in further strengthening cooperation between Vietnam and the EU.

In response, First Vice President Plakiotakis said, “Greece was among the first countries to ratify the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Hopefully, bilateral cooperation still holds significant potential, particularly by leveraging opportunities generated by the EVFTA.”

He stated that Greece regards Vietnam as an important economic partner in Southeast Asia, highlighting the country’s impressive economic growth and strong market potential. He explained Greece’s interest in expanding cooperation, especially in transportation, logistics, and agricultural exports.

Greece ranks first globally in maritime shipping, operating more than 4,500 commercial vessels, accounting for around 20 per cent of the world’s fleet. Greece also possesses extensive practical experience in shipbuilding, ship repair, and related logistics services.

First Vice President Plakiotakis said, “Greek enterprises stand ready to share expertise in maritime transport, shipbuilding, and seafarer training with Vietnam. We would like to further open agricultural and food markets between the two countries, particularly for products in which both sides hold competitive advantages.”

Acting Minister Hung expressed agreement with First Vice President Plakiotakis regarding the strong prospects for cooperation in maritime transport. He expressed hope that the two sides would strengthen collaboration, including technology transfer in shipbuilding and the operation of smart port systems, in order to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam’s maritime sector.

He said, “Vietnam is ready to work with Greece to expand bilateral agricultural exports and to import advanced Greek technologies for application in Vietnam’s agro-processing and food production industries.”

In addition, the acting minister proposed that Greece, as a member of the EU, support and advocate within the European Commission for the early removal of the 'yellow card' warning imposed on Vietnam over illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The first vice president expressed his agreement with the proposal.

Both sides agreed to increase exchanges of delegations at multiple levels in the coming period, aiming to deepen cooperation and further strengthen bilateral trade relations.

Since entering into force in 2020, the EVFTA has helped drive steady growth in bilateral trade. In 2021, two-way trade reached $447.2 million, representing an on-year increase of 32.6 per cent.

In 2025, total import-export turnover between Vietnam and Greece amounted to over $587 million, an increase of 16.4 per cent. Of this, Vietnam’s exports to Greece reached $465.5 million, up 18.75 per cent, while imports from Greece totalled close to $121.8 million, up around 8.8 per cent.

In January alone, bilateral trade reached $52.7 million, marking a 27.4 per cent increase on-year, with exports estimated at $45.3 million, up 25.5 per cent, and imports from Greece at $7.4 million, up a little over 40 per cent.

Source: VIR