• RELATIONS VIETNAM - POLAND:

  The two countries established diplomatic ties on 2nd April 1950.
  
  1. Politics
  
  Poland made great contribution to Vietnam during the anti-French struggle and the anti-American struggle. Thousands of Polish army officers and staffs attended the International Committee right after the 1954 Geneva Agreement and the 1973 Paris Agreement came into effect in Vietnam.
  
  The two countries’ cooperation in the international forum is actively promoted. Currently, the two countries are committed to supporting each other for non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council in the next term.
  
  Over the past years, the two countries have frequently exchanged many high- ranking delegations at state, government and parliament levels. The two sides constantly promote direct cooperation among their departments, locals, and enterprises.
  
  Over the past years, Vietnam’s visits to Poland include those conducted by Foreign Minister (1992); Ministers of Justice (1993, 1998), Deputy Prime Minister Tran Duc Luong (1994), Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Dang Quan Thuy (1995), Minister of culture (1996), Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet (1997), Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Van Yeu (1999), Minister of Defense (5/2003), President Tran Duc Luong (10/2003) and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (9/2007).
  
  Polish leaders' visits to Vietnam: Deputy Prime Minister (1995), Spokesman of the Senate (1996, 2003), President (7/1999) and Prime Minister (1/2005).
  
  Vietnam and Poland have signed many cooperation agreements, including an agreement on cultural and scientific cooperation in 1992, an agreement on judicial assistance in 1993, an agreement on investment promotion and protection in 1994, an agreement on avoidance of double taxation in 1994, an agreement on marine transport in 1995, and an agreements on debt reduction for Vietnam for the 1991-1996 period; a cooperation agreement in areas of agriculture, rural development, agro product market; and an agreement on 2005-2008 education and training cooperation.
  
  2. Economic and trade
  
  The two countries maintain and develop traditional friendship cooperation in all areas on the basis of mutual benefit.
  
  Poland regards Vietnam as one of its important partners, helping Poland  further enhance the relations with other Southeast Asian countries.
  
  The two countries wish to further promote development cooperation in areas of economic, trade and investment and complement each other in areas that two countries have strengths such as shipbuilding, mining, waterway traffic equipment, chemicals, national defense equipment and vestige restoration.
  
  Poland has granted ODA to Vietnam to train cadres, restoring the royal palace in Hue, the Cham towers in Binh Thuan, and the Cu Chi tunnels, upgrading several building projects that Poland helped Vietnam construct long time ago such as the Poland - Vietnam friendship hospital.
  
  The development of the bilateral economic and commercial relations has not matched potentials and wishes of the two countries. In recent years, the trade turnover has increased considerably.

• Year	​2006​	​​2007	​​2008	​​2009	​​2010	​2011​
  ​Turnover (US$ million)	330​​	500​​	​650​	​550​	​​650	​680​

  
  Vietnam's major exports to Poland include garments and textiles, agricultural products and food. Vietnam imports machines, equipment, milk powder and medicine from Poland.
  
  In 2006, the total of trade turnover continued to increase and reached US$ 330 million. It is estimated that the figure may be US$ 350 million in 2007. Vietnamese garments and textiles, aquatic products, seafood and foodstuff exported to Poland increased while leather products and imitation leather products decreased.
  
  Poland is the number one partner of Vietnam’s Eastern European partners. Poland is also one of those countries that, when its economic-political system changed, exempted old debts for Vietnam and granted credits on preferential terms for Vietnam to develop shipbuilding sector and energy.
  
  Poland provided non-refundable aid to Vietnam during the Vietnam war and the post-war national construction. In 2000, Poland decided to grant US$ 0.2 million in ODA to Vietnam. In 2005 and 2006, at the meetings of international sponsors to Vietnam (CG), Poland decided to grant US$ 0.3 million in ODA to Vietnam each year.
  
  3. Cultural and heritage restoration
  
  Poland had good traditional cooperation with Vietnam. It received Vietnamese on-the-job trainees in musical field, exchanged direct cooperation among writers and artists associations, literature and translation associations, effectively cooperated with Vietnam in areas of vestige restoration, job training, labor recruitment and expert exchange; and supplied financial aid of US$ 1 million for restoration of ancient capital of Hue; the tunnels of Cu Chi and the Cham towers.
  
  4. Education and training cooperation
  
  Poland trained over 4000 Vietnamese students and science officers; over 3500 on-the-job workers mainly in mining, shipbuilding and railroad car building. At present, Poland grants 10 scholarships to higher and postgraduate students. Vietnam receives 6 Polish students with a ten-month period of probation. Poland withdrew from the multilateral agreement on equivalent diploma recognition signed in Prague in 1972. Vietnam wishes to negotiate with Poland on the recognition of certificates of the two countries.
  
  5. Overseas Vietnamese community in Poland
  
  About 20,000 to 30,000 overseas Vietnamese people in Poland play an important role in developing the economic and commercial relations between the two countries and are highly appreciated by Poland. The Vietnamese community tends to invest into their fatherland. The two Governments have been trying to create a good legal environment for the Vietnamese community to live and work in Poland.
  
  Addresses of Diplomatic Mission
  
  Vietnamese embassy in the Republic of Poland
  Resorowa 36, 02-956 Warsaw
  Tel: (00) (48) (22) 651 6098; 601 925 288 Consulate: 651 6098 (link to 10)
  Fax: (00) (48) (22) 651 6095
  Email: vnemb.pl@mofa.gov.vn
  
  Polish embassy in Vietnam
  No. 3, One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi
  Tel: (00) (84) (4) 845 2027; 845 3728; Consulate: 845 2027/3728
  Fax: (00) (84) (4) 823 6914
  Email: polamb@hn.vnn.vn

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