Denmark and Vietnam's Relations

1970-1979

1971

• The Royal Danish Embassy opened in Hanoi, led by a Chargé d’Affairs.

1980-1989

1983

• Along with most western countries, Denmark decided to withdraw her representation from Hanoi as a response to Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia in 1978.

1990-1999

1991

• The Danish aid program was slowly reinitiated, primarily supplying former Danish aid projects with spare parts.

1992

• The first Danish business delegation visited Vietnam.

1993

• The Danish Parliament’s Finance Committee visited Vietnam.

1994

• Under Ambassador Niels Julius Lassen, the Royal Danish Embassy reopened in Hanoi. Furthermore, Vietnam was selected to be a partner country for Danish development cooperation.
• Minister for Development Cooperation Helle Degn visited Vietnam.
• Minister of Fisheries Ta Quang Ngoc visited Denmark.

1995

• Denmark and Vietnam entered into an agreement on double taxation.
• Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet visited Denmark.
• Minister for Development Cooperation Poul Nielson visited Vietnam.

1996

• Minister for Taxation Carsten Koch visited Vietnam.

1997

• Ambassador Ove Ullerup replaced Niels Julius Lassen.
• Minister for Foreign Affairs Niels Helveg Petersen visited Vietnam.

1999

• His Royal Highness Prince Consort Henrik visited Vietnam for the first time since his upbringing in the country.
• Minister for Development Cooperation Jan Trøjborg visited Vietnam.

2000-2009

2000

• Vietnam inaugurated its embassy in Denmark.

2001

• Minister for Planning and Investments Tran Xuan Gia visited Denmark.
• Ambassador Bjarne H. Sørensen replaced Ove Ullerup.

2002

• Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Minister for Foreign Affairs Nguyen Duy Nien and Minister for Trade Truong Dinh Tuyen visited Denmark in connection with the ASEM IV summit in Copenhagen.

2003

• His Royal Highness the Prince Consort visited Vietnam accompanied by a large business delegation.
• The Parliament’s Committee for Foreign Affairs visited Vietnam.
• Minister for Interior Affairs Do Quang Trung and Minister for Environmental Affairs Mai Ai Truc visited Denmark.

2004

• Ambassador Peter Lysholt Hansen replaced Bjarne H. Sørensen.
• Minister for Foreign Affairs Per Stig Møller visited Vietnam in connection with the ASEM V summit in Hanoi.
• Vice Prime Minister Vu Khoan visited Denmark.

2005

• An extensive Danish business delegation visited Vietnam.
• Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tørnæs visited Vietnam. 

Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tørnæs meeting with Minister for Planning and Investments Vo Hong Phuc

2006

• In his capacity as Protector of Care Denmark, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim visited Vietnam and Cambodia.

Prince Joachim visiting the Mekong Delta

2007

• Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tørnæs visited Vietnam and co-hosted the summit in the Mekong River Commission with Minister for Agriculture Cao Duc Phat.
• The Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ulrik Federspeil visited Vietnam.
• The Joint Governmental Committee on trade, investments and technological cooperation was established in connection with the political consultations. The first meeting was held in Copenhagen. 

2008

• Vice Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung visited Denmark June 9th-11th accompanied by Minister of Employment Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
• Vice Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Denmark September 15th-20th.

2009

• Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess accompanied by Minister for Culture Carina Christensen and Minister for Environment Troels Lund Poulsen visited Vietnam from November 1st to 9th. Among others, the Royal Family met the President Nguyen Minh Triet, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and General Secretary Nong Duc Manh. Moreover, a business delegation including 68 Danish companies and a culture delegation participated in the visit. 
• Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung accompanied by a business delegation visited Denmark from November 15th-20th. The Prime Minister met the Danish Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Development Cooperation, the Minister for Education, the Minister for the Environment, Her Majesty the Queen, the Chairman of the Parliament as well as several Danish business representatives.
• Minister for Education Bertal Haarder visited Vietnam from the March 2nd to 4th to attend, among others, the meeting on education in ASEM.
• Minister for Employment Claus Hjort Frederiksen visited Vietnam from the 2nd to the 4th of March accompanied by the leaders of The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the Confederation of Danish Employers (DA) to participate in a tripartite seminar and discuss labour market policies among other issues.
• Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tørnæs visited Vietnam January 18-21.

2010-2019

2010

• Ambassador John Nielsen replaced Peter Lysholt Hansen.

2011

• His Highness the Crown Prince, accompanied by Minister for Trade and Investments Pia Olsen Dyhr, visited Vietnam November 27th to December 2nd to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Vietnam. A business delegation with 40 Danish companies and educational institutions joined the Crown Prince in the celebrations. The Crown Prince had meetings with, among others, President Truong Tan Sang, Vice-President Nguyen Thi Doan, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh. During his visit, the Crown Prince witnessed the signing by the Danish Minister for Trade and Investments and the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs of a Strategic Partnership between Denmark and Vietnam on climate change, the environment, energy and green growth. The Partnership also established the framework for a more comprehensive cooperation agreement to be signed in 2012/13. Finally, the Crown Prince participated in a series of business promotional and cultural activities in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

HRH Crown Prince Frederik; Ambassador to Vietnam, John Nielsen and Minister of Trade and Investment, Pia Olsen Dyhr with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pham Binh Minh.

• The Danish Minister for Education Troels Lund Poulsen visited Vietnam June 30th to discuss the possibilities for a collaboration in the area of education

2012

• Minister of Climate, Energy and Buildings, Martin Lidegaard, visited Vietnam in November to expand the bilateral cooperation within green growth as well as fostering a reorganization of the Vietnamese energy production away from fossil fuels.
• The Presidium of the Danish Parliament paid an official visit to Vietnam in March. Here the Presidium members met the Chairman of the National Assembly, Nguyen Sinh Hung, as well as a paying a courtesy call to Prime Minister Dung.
• Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt visited Vietnam in November. The goal of the visit was to promote Danish commercial opportunities in the growing Vietnamese economy. The Prime Minister launched a new Growth Strategy for Vietnam which is aimed at strengthening ties between Denmark and Vietnam.

2013

• His Royal Highness the Prince Consort visited Vietnam January 30 to February 5.
• President Truong Tan Sang paid an official state visit to Denmark in September. Here the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (CPA), which is the cornerstone of the future cooperation between Denmark and Vietnam, was signed.
• Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Villy Søvndal, and later Minister of Trade and Investment, Pia Olsen Dyhr, visited Vietnam. During his visit, the Foreign Minister discussed the strengthened bilateral partnership in a number of areas, including Commercial partnerships in Green Growth.

2015

• Minister for the Environment and Food Eva Kjer Hansen visited Vietnam in November along with a larger business delegation. Eva Kjer Hansen and the Vietnamese Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Quang, signed a MoU, which makes Vietnam the 8th partnering country in the Global Green Fotum (3GF) headed by Denmark. Furthermore, she met with Vice Prime Minister, Mr. Hai, and the Vietnamese Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Phat.

• His Royal Highness the Prince Consort visited Vietnam as a Protector of WWF Denmark October 28 - November 5.

• Ambassador Charlotte Laursen replaced John Nielsen.

• Minister of Education, Christine Antorini, visited Vietnam in March along with a larger delegation of Danish educational institutions and organizations. The aim was to help profile Danish educational competencies and to foster bilateral cooperation within education.   

• Minister of Trade and Development, Mogens Jensen, visited Vietnam in January and headed a larger export drive with a focus on environment, energy and food. Mogens Jensen i.a. met Prime Minister Dung and inaugurated the Danish Growth Council for Vietnam, the first of its kind, which is a knowledge-sharing forum for Danish ministries and Danish companies operating in Vietnam. The council is to underpin synergy amongst Danish political and commercial activities in Vietnam.

2016

• Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristian Jensen visited Vietnam in October on the occasion of the 45th year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Denmark. The aim of the visit was to further strengthen bilateral trade. Kristian Jensen met with Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Pham Binh Minh, Minister for Planning and Investment Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung, HCMC People's Committee and representatives from Civil Society. Kristian Jensen also visited Ngoc Lam Primary School, Manzi Art Space and three Danish companies, who operate in Vietnam.

2017

• Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Ms. Ulla Tørnæs visited Vietnam in May with the purpose of enhancing Vietnam - Denmark bilateral partnership. This visit focused on 4 sectors: education, food safety, environment and health. The visit also pushed for transformation of the Green Global Goals Forum 3GF of which Vietnam is the 8th core member. Tørnæs joined 3GF Asia Roundtable Discussions together with Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Mr. Trần Hồng Hà. The Minister also met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam, and Vice Minister of Health Le Quang Cuong. These meetings focused on Vietnam – Denmark comprehensive partnership and sector cooperation.

2018

• Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid an official visit to Denmark on October 19th to 20th in connection with the P4G-summit. Vietnam is among the original P4G partner countries along with Denmark, Mexico, South Korea, Chile, Ethiopia and Kenya. In addition to participating in the P4G-summit, as part of his official program, Prime Minister Phuc had an audience with her Majesty the Queen and a bilateral meeting with the Danish Prime Minister. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the close bilateral relations, including the marking of the fifth anniversary of the Danish-Vietnamese Comprehensive Partnership Agreement, signed in 2013. After their meeting the two Prime Ministers witnessed the signing of a number of agreements on i.a. renewable energy and energy efficiency, food safety and sustainability as well as on health and education

• Ambassador Kim Højlund Christensen replaces Charlotte Laursen.

• The Danish Minister of Health, Ellen Trane Nørby visited Vietnam in April with the purpose of enhancing the Danish-Vietnamese bilateral cooperation, especially within the field of health. During her visit, Ellen Trane Nørby met with Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien and paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Ellen Trane Nørby also visited Bach Thuan Commune Health Station in the Thai Binh province and Hanoi Medical University where she met with a number of master students and principals. Furthermore, Ellen Trane Nørby witnessed the signing of a partnership agreement between University of Copenhagen, University of Southern Denmark and Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy. 

2020- 

2021

• 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Denmark

2022

• Ambassador Nicolai Prytz replaces Kim Højlund Christensen
  
  HRH The Crown Prince and The Crown Princess, accompanied by a business delegation, visited Vietnam from November 1-3 as part of an official Danish green business promotional campaign with 36 Danish companies. The visit marked 50 years of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Vietnam. Under the heading "Creating a Greener Future Together", the Crown Prince Couple participated in seminars and conferences with the aim of building new partnerships and business opportunities in Vietnam. The Crown Prince Couple were received by Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân. A courtesy visit was also paid to President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc. The delegation visited businesses in Hải Phòng, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City.
  

2023   VIETNAM AND DENMARK ARE NOW GREEN STRATEGIC PARTNERS

• Vietnam and Denmark both have ambitious goals for combatting climate change and completing a green transition. At COP 26, the Prime Minister of Vietnam made a bold commitment to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Denmark is a frontrunner when it comes to green transition and the climate agenda. The Danish government has an ambition to reduce CO2 emissions with 70 percent before 2030 and to reach climate neutrality by 2045. A green strategic partnership between Vietnam and Denmark will strengthen the already close and fruitful cooperation between the two countries and support both countries’ endeavours in reaching their own national targets and international commitments on green transition and climate change.

  On November 1^st 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark jointly declared the establishment of a Green Strategic Partnership (GSP) between Vietnam and Denmark.

  Vietnam and Denmark are long-standing partners in a vast number of areas. The GSP is a mutually beneficial framework for advancing political cooperation, expanding economic relations relevant to green growth, creating jobs and strengthening cooperation on global challenges and solutions on the green transition and climate change; with focus on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

  Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change with a high dependence on fossil fuels and increasingly energy-hungry industries. Being one of the fastest growing economies in Asia with a population of more than 100 million people, Vietnam plays a significant role, and is an important partner politically and economically, in the global green transition and fight against climate change. Vietnam is also an important business partner and an attractive investment destination for Danish companies.  At present, there are more than 135 Danish companies in Vietnam. Denmark is also one of the biggest European investors in Vietnam. 

  The GSP builds on and consolidates the existing political cooperation on climate, energy, trade and business, food and agriculture, health, education, statistics etc. and enables new initiatives of mutual interest. The GSP will also help accelerate the bilateral trade and investment, with a focus on sustainable business and investment, between Denmark and Vietnam.

  A mutually agreed action plan with ambitious goals and concrete actions will ensure full implementation of the GSP with a view to further enhance knowledge and exchange of best practice, strengthen capacity and promote technology transfer in the ongoing cooperation projects.

  Read the Joint Statement here