Estonia’s foreign minister arrived in Hanoi aiming to expand ties with Vietnam on trade, technology and digital transformation, with both sides using the meetings to tie practical cooperation to wider European policy and security concerns.
Margus Tsahkna met Vietnam’s Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on Wednesday, Vietnam’s state media reported, saying Estonia wants to deepen cooperation with Vietnam in trade, technology and digital transformation. Tsahkna described the relationship as building on agreements the two countries signed on digital cooperation in 2025.
Estonia’s minister pointed to its own record in e-governance as a foundation for that cooperation, saying Estonia punches above its weight in digital expertise. He told The Associated Press in Hanoi that cooperation on digitalization of services could help Vietnam reduce bureaucracy, improve transparency and lower costs.
Tsahkna also said digital services could make it easier for citizens to use public-sector offerings, describing the shift in service delivery as making public services more accessible “much more quicker for citizens to be part of public sector services.” He added that Vietnam had proposed an education cooperation agreement, which the sides discussed as part of the broader relationship.
The meeting also reflected trade and investment issues that extend beyond bilateral tech projects. Le Minh Hung asked Estonia to urge the European Union to ratify an Investment Protection Agreement and to support efforts to lift the European Commission’s “yellow card,” according to state media.
Vietnam’s “yellow card” status is tied to restrictions on some imports of Vietnamese seafood exports for illegal fishing, with Hung’s request aimed at removing those constraints. Tsahkna, in turn, said Estonia could serve as a gateway for Vietnamese businesses to Europe, while Vietnam would offer Estonia a larger market and a foothold in Southeast Asia.
Alongside economic and technology goals, Tsahkna said the meetings in Vietnam were also intended to convey Europe’s view of Russia. He said Estonia wanted to communicate why Europe sees Russia as an “existential threat,” while also noting the current diplomatic posture between Hanoi and Moscow.
Vietnam and Russia have maintained diplomatic relations since 1950, and Vietnam has kept a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, advocating peace while avoiding direct criticism of Russia, Tsahkna said. In that context, he portrayed Estonia’s engagement of Vietnam and Southeast Asia as driven by geopolitical pressures and economic opportunity, including U.S. criticism of European defense spending and tariff tensions that, he said, push Europe to look outward.
Tsahkna framed Vietnam as central to Estonia’s regional outreach, telling The Associated Press that “for us, Vietnam is one of the priority countries in the region.”