The delegation also included members of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee, leaders of the Provincial People's Committee and the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, and heads of several provincial departments, agencies and localities.

The delegation was received by Pham Thi Thu Huong, Director of the General Research Department at the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Greece, concurrently accredited to Albania, together with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece.

Also present was Gabriel Petridis, Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Piraeus, Greece, and Chairman of Aries Energy & Transport.

Deputy Provincial Party Secretary Giang Thi Dung, Head of the province's National Assembly delegation, spoke at the working session with the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece.

At the session, the two parties discussed Vietnam – Greece relations, Lao Cai's development following its administrative merger, and directions for future cooperation.

Vietnam and Greece established diplomatic relations in 1975. Over more than 50 years, their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation have been steadily strengthened, particularly in economics, trade, maritime affairs, logistics, culture, tourism, agriculture and people-to-people exchange.

Giang Thi Dung gave an overview of Lao Cai after the merger and highlighted the province's positive socio-economic results in the first half of 2026. Lao Cai has maintained solid growth, with gross regional product estimated to rise 9.31% and total development investment reaching an estimated 39 trillion VND. Total import-export value was estimated at more than 1.755 billion USD. Alongside border-gate economics, logistics, industry and highland specialty agriculture, tourism remained a bright spot, drawing more than 6.7 million visitors - including 941,000 international arrivals - for estimated tourism revenue of 25.37 trillion VND.

The delegation Head stressed that, after the merger, Lao Cai enjoyed vast and diverse space for tourism development, with strong potential in eco-tourism, community-based tourism, cultural tourism, heritage tourism and adventure tourism. Destinations such as Sa Pa, Fansipan, Mu Cang Chai, Bac Ha, Thac Ba Lake, Y Ty and Ta Van - together with its villages, traditional markets, festivals, handicrafts and UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage - are key advantages for expanding tourism cooperation with international partners.

Giang Thi Dung praised the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece for its bridging role in helping the province access market information, connect with partners, and promote trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchange. As Lao Cai accelerates international integration and economic diplomacy toward becoming a growth pole of the northern midland and mountainous region, she said, regular and substantive coordination with Vietnam's overseas representative missions is highly significant.

At the session, Lao Cai requested the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece to keep helping connect the province with relevant Greek agencies, localities, associations, businesses, media organizations and partners; support its participation in tourism, investment and trade promotion programs; and promote the province's image through diplomatic events, cultural and tourism promotion activities, trade fairs, business forums and appropriate media channels. The province also proposed setting up a regular information channel with the embassy to exchange timely updates on markets, potential partners and specific cooperation opportunities.

Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong expressed delight at Lao Cai's outstanding development. She affirmed that, by strengthening cooperation among the two parties' localities, businesses and partners, Lao Cai can make a practical contribution to advancing the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Greece.

On tourism, the ambassador noted that Greece has a strongly developed tourism sector, drawing very large numbers of international visitors relative to its population. A notable Greek lesson, she said, is its emphasis on preserving authentic historical and cultural values, and on making effective use of relics, scenic sites, beaches and natural resources while keeping the environment clean and attractive - thereby sustaining long-term appeal for visitors. These experiences offer valuable references for Lao Cai as it develops green, cultural and community-based tourism tied to preserving its identity.

On workforce cooperation, the ambassador said Greece currently has strong demand for labor in agriculture and tourism. This could be a promising avenue, especially by strengthening links between the province's vocational training institutions and Greek partners to produce high-quality human resources that meet real labor-market needs. She also raised the possibility of developing short-term vocational internship programs in Greece in tourism, services and agriculture - gradually opening opportunities for internships, skills upgrading and suitable employment for Vietnamese workers in general, and workers from mountainous areas in particular.

The Lao Cai working delegation presented a souvenir to the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece.

On trade, the ambassador raised the possibility of connecting outlets for several of Lao Cai's signature products, including cinnamon and processed farm goods. Greece holds an important position in the Balkans, with a well-developed maritime transport and logistics system, and serves as a gateway to many European markets. The Vietnamese Embassy in Greece stands ready to provide information and introduce business contacts, industry associations and suitable trade-promotion events for Lao Cai to study and pursue.

The ambassador stressed that, beyond political diplomacy, the embassy will keep actively supporting Lao Cai across the pillars of economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy and local cooperation. With ample room still to grow in Vietnam – Greece trade and investment, the embassy will focus on connecting partners, promoting the province's image and advancing cooperation opportunities that match Lao Cai's needs and strengths.

At the session, Gabriel Petridis - Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Piraeus and Chairman of Aries Energy & Transport - shared his views on the cooperation potential among Vietnam, Lao Cai and Greek partners.

Petridis said tourism plays an especially important role for both Vietnam and Greece. Drawing on his experience and network in Greece, he expressed readiness to work with the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece to help promote Lao Cai tourism and connect with tourism organizations, businesses and investors in the hotel and travel sectors, thereby boosting two-way visitor exchange between the two countries.

Beyond tourism, Petridis highlighted cooperation potential in logistics, maritime transport, trade and investment. Greece, he noted, is a world leader in maritime transport, while Vietnam is a dynamic economy with growing demand for international trade connectivity. As Lao Cai pushes strategic connectivity infrastructure - notably the standard-gauge Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway - the experience and networks of Greek transport and logistics firms could be a useful reference and support for the two parties to keep exploring cooperation.

On trade cooperation, Petridis suggested that Lao Cai send a list of its strong local products - such as farm goods, processed products, cinnamon and rice - suited to Greek market demand, for introduction to relevant partners. He affirmed his readiness to maintain exchanges, share information and coordinate with the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece to advance concrete cooperation opportunities between businesses of the two parties.

The Lao Cai working delegation posed for a photo with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece.

Closing the session, Giang Thi Dung sincerely thanked the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece and the representative of Aries Energy & Transport for their attention, support and practical insights for Lao Cai. She affirmed that the exchanges provide an important basis for the province as it develops tourism, promotes trade, attracts investment and expands international cooperation.

Giang Thi Dung emphasized that Lao Cai is always ready to facilitate connections and cooperation between Greek partners and the province's agencies, localities, associations and businesses. She expressed hope for continued support from the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece and Aries Energy & Transport in sharing information, introducing partners and advancing substantive cooperation - helping to further strengthen the friendship between Vietnam and Greece, and between Lao Cai and its Greek partners in particular.

Giang Thi Dung extended an invitation to Ambassador Pham Thi Thu Huong, embassy staff and Gabriel Petridis - Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Piraeus and Chairman of Aries Energy & Transport - to visit Lao Cai at a suitable time.

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