Vietnam and Poland have raised their relationship to a Strategic Partnership during Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's official visit to Vietnam on 24-26 October. On the afternoon of 26 October, straight after the upgrade, Tusk and Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng attended a Vietnam–Poland business roundtable in Hanoi. According to VnExpress, Vietnam urged Polish companies to invest more in renewable energy, railways and shipbuilding, and the two countries aim to lift bilateral trade to 6 billion USD by 2030.
Trade in numbers
VnExpress reported that Poland is Vietnam's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe and its 36th-largest foreign investor. Tusk, in turn, called Vietnam one of Asia's fastest-growing economies and Poland's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia.
| Period | Two-way trade | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nearly 4 billion USD | Up nearly 15% on 2024 |
| First nine months of 2026 | Nearly 3.5 billion USD | Up 19% on the same period of 2025 |
| 2030 target | 6 billion USD | Goal both countries are working towards |
Despite double-digit growth, Tusk said investment and trade still fall short of the two economies' potential, and that trade should be diversified, new export routes opened and investment made easier.
A KBVN+ timeline compiled from VnExpress, VietnamPlus and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Bộ Công Thương):
- 4 February 1950: Vietnam and Poland establish diplomatic relations.
- 2017: Polish drugmaker Adamed Pharma enters Vietnam with a factory.
- 24-26 October 2026: Tusk's official visit; the relationship is upgraded to a Strategic Partnership.
- Afternoon of 26 October 2026: the Hanoi business roundtable; a reception by Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm; a meeting with National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn at the National Assembly House.
Tô Lâm described the visit as an important milestone that opens a new stage of more stable, deeper and more substantive relations, VietnamPlus reported.
What each side put on the table
Besides renewables, railways and shipbuilding, Vietnam wants Polish investment in smart agriculture, digital transformation and the environment, tied to technology transfer, VnExpress reported. Hưng asked Poland to help Vietnamese firms join production and supply chains, to prioritise hiring and training local staff, and to commit to long-term investment. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, which co-organised the event with Poland's Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, summed up his message as four directions: better-quality cooperation, prompt removal of institutional barriers, stronger transport links to connect markets, and closer, sustainable business ties.
According to the ministry, Tusk said Polish companies can bring technology, expertise and capital, while Vietnamese partners offer developed production infrastructure, market knowledge and a route into regional markets. He listed pharmaceuticals, defence and dual-use technology, space and artificial intelligence as promising areas, and said the two countries could work together on Earth observation and satellite data analysis for agriculture, water management, environmental protection and infrastructure management, VnExpress reported. Polish participants included PGZ, Rosomak, Cenzin, WB Group, Adamed Pharma/Davipharm, TZF Polfa and a representative of the Polish Space Agency.
What it means for Vietnamese businesses and travellers
Pharmaceuticals is the area with the firmest footing. Tusk cited Adamed Pharma's investment, which came with new production facilities and modernised technology, and said future cooperation could move into research, development, production and export of medicines to other markets in the region, according to VnExpress. Vietnam also asked both sides to review and remove barriers in investment procedures, immigration and customs.
For travellers, Polish flag carrier LOT will resume direct Warsaw–Hanoi flights from 31 March 2027 and says it is interested in a cargo service between the two countries. Hưng asked agencies in both countries to diversify air, sea and rail links to supplement the traditional Asia–Europe sea route.
What's next
National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn proposed that both sides focus on implementing an action plan for 2026-2030 with specific targets under the new Strategic Partnership framework, VietnamPlus reported. At business level, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thị Thắng called for keeping agencies, organisations and companies of both countries in contact, identifying suitable partners and carrying out feasible proposals. The dated milestones announced so far are LOT's direct flights from 31 March 2027 and the 6 billion USD trade target for 2030.