On January 17, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with the Poland-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group during his official visit to Poland. The group, which includes representatives from all political parties in Poland, is the largest parliamentary friendship group in the Polish parliament.

Prime Minister Chinh expressed gratitude for the solidarity and support Poland has provided to Vietnam throughout its history, from the struggle for independence to its current efforts in national development.

He emphasized that his visit aims to strengthen ties between the two nations and deepen the friendship between their peoples.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Chinh shared insights from his discussions with Polish leaders, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda.

He urged the Polish parliament to continue supporting bilateral relations and to work toward upgrading the partnership between the two countries to a strategic level.

Vietnam has backed Poland’s interest in signing a cooperation agreement with ASEAN, and Prime Minister Chinh called on the parliamentary group to act as a bridge between Vietnam and the European Parliament.

He also urged Poland to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to support the European Commission in lifting the "yellow card" on Vietnam's seafood exports under the IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing) framework.

Vietnam has granted visa exemptions for Polish citizens holding regular passports and proposed that Poland reciprocate by offering visa exemptions for Vietnamese official passport holders. Prime Minister Chinh also called for more favorable visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens traveling to Poland.

Polish lawmakers praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in recent years, noting the shared history and similar starting points of both nations in their reform and economic development journeys.

They highlighted the cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries, particularly in sharing experiences in lawmaking and governance.

The Polish-Vietnamese parliamentary group expressed unanimous support for Prime Minister Chinh’s proposals, including the ratification of the EVIPA, lifting the IUU yellow card, and recognizing the Vietnamese community in Poland as an ethnic minority.

At a separate meeting with Szymon Holownia, Speaker of the Polish Sejm (Lower House), Prime Minister Chinh acknowledged Poland’s longstanding contributions to Vietnam’s development.

He noted that many Polish-supported projects in healthcare and education remain operational and valuable to Vietnam, symbolizing the enduring friendship between the two nations over 75 years.

Both leaders praised the growing cooperation between their countries in various fields, including politics, diplomacy, economics, education, culture, and tourism.

Prime Minister Chinh called for greater parliamentary collaboration, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people interactions.

Highlighting the significance of the EVIPA for bilateral economic ties, he urged the Polish parliament to ratify the agreement and to advocate for lifting the IUU yellow card on Vietnam's seafood exports.

Speaker Holownia, in turn, expressed hope that Vietnam would support Poland’s accession to ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).

Speaker Holownia also commended the Vietnamese community in Poland, recognizing their industriousness and valuable contributions to Polish society.

Prime Minister Chinh thanked the Speaker and encouraged the Polish parliament to formally recognize the Vietnamese community as an ethnic minority in Poland.

Tran Thuong, Minh Nhat