Within the framework of the official visit to the State of Kuwait by Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the two sides issued a Joint Statement on the establishment of a strategic partnership between the State of Kuwait and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Below is the full text of the Vietnam-Kuwait Joint Statement:
1. Mr. Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, had talks with Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, within the framework of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's first official visit to the State of Kuwait from November 16-18, 2025.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also had an official meeting with the State President of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. The two sides discussed bilateral, regional, international and multilateral issues of mutual concern.
2. During the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent the monarch of the State of Kuwait congratulations on the achievements that the State of Kuwait has achieved in its position as rotating Chairman of the 45th Supreme People's Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
3. Based on the long-standing relationship between the two countries, the State of Kuwait as well as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam have both witnessed, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1976, continuous development steps on the foundation of friendship, mutual respect and constructive cooperation.
The two sides expressed their desire to elevate the Vietnam - Kuwait relationship to an extensive partnership, opening up new cooperation channels to support economic integration between the two countries.
4. The two sides also expressed their desire to expand dialogue and coordination mechanisms, including the Intergovernmental Committee and the Political Consultation between the two Foreign Ministries, to implement agreements and memorandums of understanding, discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern, and expand people-to-people exchanges. The two sides agreed that 2026 will mark an important milestone, the 50th anniversary of Vietnam - Kuwait diplomatic relations and the friendship between Vietnam and Kuwait.
5. The two sides agreed to elevate the bilateral friendship between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the State of Kuwait to a Strategic Partnership, based on solid common foundations between the two countries to strengthen common interests and serve the aspirations of the people of the two countries.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the framework of bilateral cooperation through comprehensive programs in various fields, including emerging technology, digital communications, artificial intelligence and food security, which are important areas of cooperation, through joint projects on supply chains, production and storage.
6. The two sides discussed measures to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector, specifically by expanding partnerships to the fields of oil and gas exploration and exploitation, petrochemical industry and renewable energy.
The two sides emphasized the strategic importance of Nghi Son Refinery, and expressed their hope to continue to closely coordinate with partners to develop a comprehensive plan to restructure the finance and administration of the project.
7. Vietnam welcomed the development aid provided by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and expressed its hope that the Fund would continue to support projects that contribute to improving basic infrastructure.
8. Within the framework of international relations, the two sides highly appreciated the maintenance of coordination at the United Nations and multilateral forums, reaffirmed the common commitment to strengthen cooperation and supported each other's positions, especially within the framework of the United Nations and in the context of enhancing cooperation between the GCC and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Accordingly, the Vietnamese side welcomed the proactive role of the State of Kuwait in the ASEAN Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), and the Kuwait side emphasized the importance of studying the possibility of turning this Dialogue into an effective regional mechanism.
9. The two sides also welcomed the announcement of the Reference Clause to launch negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement between the GCC and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which is an important step towards enhancing trade, investment and connectivity between the two sides, and emphasized the importance of launching negotiations to soon reach an agreement.
10. To mark the anniversary of the official visit, the two sides signed two agreements to further strengthen bilateral cooperation:
- Protocol amending the Agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and public service passport holders between the Government of the State of Kuwait and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
- Memorandum of Understanding between Saudi Arabia Al-Nasser Al-Sabah Diplomatic Academy, Ministry of State Foreign Affairs of Kuwait and the Vietnam Diplomatic Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
11. At the end of the visit, Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, expressed his deep gratitude to Mr. Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait for his warm and thoughtful reception for the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that the strong partnership between Vietnam and Kuwait is a typical example of regional diplomacy with a solid stance, towards the future, taking respect for international law and common values as the foundation and orientation, will continue to be a solid and reliable foundation for elevating strategic partnerships towards promoting regional stability and global prosperity.
