Catalonia President Salvador Illa Seeks Strategic Partnership with Vietnam in Hanoi Visit

Catalonia’s president, Salvador Illa, met Vietnamese vice‑prime minister Pham Gia Tuc in Hanoi on the third day of his institutional trip to Vietnam and Singapore. The talks, also attended by EU and foreign affairs minister Jaume Duch, focused on making Catalonia a strategic partner of Vietnam, highlighting cooperation in trade, technology, innovation, logistics, agriculture, tourism and sport, including football development. Illa said the visit "opened important doors" and underscored Vietnam’s role as a gateway for Catalan firms into Southeast Asia.

During the same press briefing, Illa also addressed two domestic issues. He explained the government’s priority to clarify the error discovered in the PISA assessment, stating, "No se trata de colgar el muerto a nadie" and urging that no scapegoating occur. He reaffirmed support for education councilor Esther Niubo and promised to present detailed explanations to the Parliament. Illa linked the international dialogue with his domestic agenda, emphasizing transparency and responsibility while pursuing external partnerships.