Vietnam - Romania Relations

Vietnam - Romania Relations

Vietnam and Romania established diplomatic relations on 3rd February 1950. Until 1989, it was the relations between two socialist nations. Romania provided Vietnam with financial assistance (66-million-ruble aid package, 25.5-million-ruble debt cancellation), trained approximately 3,000 Vietnamese officials and granted long and medium-term loan (200 million ruble) to Vietnam. After Romania changed its political institution (December 1989), the two countries continued to foster the traditional relations on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit.

Vietnam supports Romania’s access to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCIL) for 1998-2000 term, UN Commission on Human Rights (5/2006 and 5/2011), ECOSOC in 2007-2008 term and UN Security Council Non-permanent membership for 2004-2005 term. In turn, Romania supports Vietnam’s entry to ECOSOC in 1998-2000 term, to the Board of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in November 2006, to the WTO and UN Security Council Non-permanent membership for 2008-2009 term.

Visits to Romania by Vietnamese officials: National Assembly Chairman Le Quang Dao (4/1991); Deputy Foreign Ministers (5/1993, 9/1997 and 7/2001); Deputy Prime Minister Tran Duc Luong (8/1994); National Assembly Vice-Chairman Phung Van Tuu (9/1995); Minister of Culture and Information Tran Hoan (10/1996); Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam (12/1998); Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Chu Tuan Nha (9/1999); Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee of External Relations Do Van Tai (7/2001); President Tran Duc Luong (10/2003); Chairman of  the Party's Central Comission for External Relations Nguyen Van Son (7/2004); Vice-President Truong My Hoa (participated in Francophone Summit XI held in Bucharest and had a meeting with President Basescu on the sideline - 9/2006); National Assembly Vice-Chairman Nguyen Phuc Thanh (1/2007); National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong (6/2008); Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem (6/2009); Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee of External Relations Nguyen Van Son (5/2010); Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Danh Vinh (participated in the 14th session of Vietnam-Romania Joint Committee on Economic and Trade cooperation in 6/2010); Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee of Law Tran Dinh Long (7/2010); Vice-Chairman of the People's Supreme Court Tu Van Nhu (10/2010); Deputy Minister of National Defence Nguyen Huy Hieu (10/2010).

Visits to Vietnam by Romanian officials: Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs (11/1993, 5/1999 and 10/2001); Trade Minister (2/1994), Prime Minister N. Vacaroiu (7/1995), President Emil Constantinescu and three Deputy-PMs and also Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry respectively (Francophone Summit VII – 11/1997); Minister of Environment – Water – Forestry (8/2000); President Ion Iliescu (2/2002); Chairman of the Senate’s Commission of External Relations (10/2002); Chairman of the National Agency for Sports (9/2006); Presidential Counsellor in charge of Francophony Cristian Preda (11/2007); Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Bogdan Mazuru (5/2009); Chief of the General Staff (4/2010); Chairman of the Commission for Foreign Policy of the Chamber of Deputies Korodi Attila (4/2011 and 11/2011); Secretary of State for National Defence (4/2011).    

Since 1990, Vietnam and Romania have signed a number of documents creating a legal framework for further cooperation in the new era. Vietnam finished paying its debt to Romania on 11/3/2002. The two countries has much potential in enhancing the bilateral multifaceted cooperation, the two markets may complement each other (Romania’s strengths lie in oil and gas, petrol chemistry, architecture, construction, healthcare and agricultural production. Romania is in need of tropical products and consumer goods from Vietnam). The bilateral trade volume in the recent years is as following: 

Annually, Romania grants 10 undergraduate scholarships to Vietnam. Currently, there are approximately 50 vietnamese students and researchers in Romania. In cooperation with Romania, Vietnam successfully organized “Vietnam Culture Week” in Romania in August 2005 with the participation of Deputy Minister of Culture-Information Le Tien Tho and Deputy Minister of Construction Tong Van Nga. Mr. Tong Van Nga is now the chairman of Vietnam-Romania Friendship Union.

There are nearly 600 people in the Vietnamese community in Romania. The community fosters a strong solidarity and always looks toward Vietnam – their Motherland.

Address of Diplomatic Missions:

Vietnamese Embassy in Romania
No. 35, C.A. Rosetti St., Sector 2, Bucharest, Romania
Tel: +40-21-311.03.34/311.03.44
Fax: +40-21-312.16.26
E-mail: vietrom2005@yahoo.com

Romanian Embassy in Vietnam
No. 5, Le Hong Phong St., Ba Dinh dist., Hanoi
Tel: +84-4-38.45.20.14
Fax: +84-4-38.43.09.22
E-mail: romambhan@fpt.vn