From Traditional Friendship to Strategic Partnership
Vietnam and Kuwait will celebrate in 2026 the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1976–2026). Over five decades, these relations have been built on the foundations of friendship, solidarity, and political trust, gradually expanding from the framework of traditional friendship to tangible and comprehensive cooperation across a wide range of fields. The elevation of bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership during the historic visit by the Vietnamese Prime Minister to Kuwait in November 2025 marked a new milestone, opening a new chapter in the trajectory of relations and establishing a stronger framework and renewed momentum for deepening and expanding cooperation. Kuwait and Vietnam have officially confirmed that this partnership aims to expand areas of cooperation and enhance shared interests, serving the aspirations of the peoples of both countries.
The friendship between Vietnam and Kuwait has withstood the test of time, strengthened by the solidarity and support demonstrated by the Kuwaiti people during Vietnam’s struggle for national independence and reunification. In the past, many Kuwaitis took to the streets to express their opposition to the war in Vietnam, while Kuwaiti media clearly voiced their support and admiration for the Vietnamese people’s will and resilience. In turn, Vietnam stood firmly by Kuwait’s efforts to restore its sovereignty following the Iraqi invasion. These mutual acts of solidarity formed a crucial foundation for the enduring friendship between the two peoples.
In January 1976, Kuwait became the first Gulf country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. During the post-war reconstruction phase, Kuwait provided practical assistance to Vietnam through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, contributing to the implementation of several transport, irrigation, and socio-economic development projects in various parts of the country. Kuwait also stood by Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic, timely delivering 600,000 vaccine doses, a gesture that reflected the depth of friendship and solidarity between the two nations. The Vietnamese Prime Minister praised Kuwait’s developmental role during his visit, highlighting it as one of Vietnam’s leading partners in the Gulf region in the field of development aid.
In recent years, in the face of shared challenges in the region and the world, Vietnam and Kuwait have continued to exchange views, coordinate positions, and support each other in various international forums. This has included issues concerning the preservation of an environment characterized by peace, stability, and development; participation in the UN Human Rights Council; respect for the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea; promotion of the two-state solution for the Palestinian people; strengthening cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); and expanding cultural exchanges between countries and regions.
Economic relations have become one of the fundamental pillars of Kuwaiti-Vietnamese ties. To date, Kuwait remains the largest investor from the Middle East in Vietnam, with total investments exceeding $3.5 billion, the majority of which are concentrated in the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex project in Thanh Hoa province. This project is not merely a large-scale investment but a clear model of economic integration between the two countries and the shared interests underpinning our partnership.
Kuwait also stands as Vietnam’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and Africa, with bilateral trade value ranging between $7 billion and $7.5 billion over the past three years, reflecting the growing scale and depth of their commercial ties. Vietnam primarily imports crude oil, petrochemical products, and industrial inputs from Kuwait, while Vietnamese products are increasingly present in the Kuwaiti market, including electronics, mobile phones, agricultural and marine products, textiles, garments, wood products, and consumer goods.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Kuwait’s real GDP is projected to grow by 3.8 percent in 2026, with the non-oil sector expected to expand by 3 percent. This underscores the increasing importance of economic diversification as a driver of growth, while also opening up additional avenues for international cooperation and strengthening the partnership between Kuwait and Vietnam.
Elevating bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in 2025 has provided a suitable framework for expanding and diversifying cooperation. The two countries have set an ambitious target to raise bilateral trade volume to between $12 billion and $15 billion by 2030, alongside broadening collaboration in investment, energy, oil and gas, petrochemicals, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, food security, defense, security, and addressing non-traditional challenges.
Food security, in particular, stands out as a field with clear potential for cooperation, combining Kuwait’s need to diversify its food supply sources with Vietnam’s significant capacities in agricultural production and food processing. Additionally, sectors such as the digital economy, education, tourism, cultural exchange, and human resource development offer further prospects for enhancing bilateral cooperation. During the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s visit to Kuwait, both sides agreed to expand cooperation in science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, cybersecurity, renewable energy, education and training, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Through these efforts, Kuwait-Vietnam relations, nurtured by both countries over half a century, will continue to achieve new milestones in cooperation, delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations and positively contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
