Acting President hosts new ambassadors of Switzerland, Malaysia, Cambodia

Receiving Swiss ambassador Thomas Gass, Xuan affirmed Vietnam always attaches importance to the traditional friendship and cooperation with Switzerland that has existed for the past 50 years.

She proposed that Swiss firms invest in the long-term in Vietnam, especially in the fields of Swiss strength and Vietnamese needs such as green growth, digital transformation, circular economy, finance -banking, insurance, manufacturing, high-tech agriculture, and education-training.

She expected Switzerland, a country with an important voice in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), would continue to promote the negotiation of the Vietnam-EFTA free trade agreement to benefit both sides in future.

Ambassador Thomas Gass for his part hoped that the two countries would promote political relations through arranging high-level reciprocal visits this year. He proposed increasing bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, education, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Swiss Embassy will help boost Swiss FDI inflows into Vietnam that has a favorable investment environment in the coming years, said he diplomat.

Welcoming Malaysian Ambassador Tan Yang Thai, Acting President Xuan agreed with the ambassador’s proposal to increase delegation exchanges this year to celebrate 50 year of bilateral diplomacy.

The two countries need to ramp up economic, trade and investment as well as tourism cooperation, striving to raise their trade turnover to US$18 billion soon in a balanced manner, she said.

The Acting President also suggested that Malaysia create favourable conditions for Halal goods and services of Vietnam to enter its market. She also suggested that Malaysia generate a safe and favourable working environment for Vietnamese guestworkers in the country based on the new agreement on labour cooperation signed in March 2022.

According the Acting President, the two countries should step up negotiations and soon sign a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation, and at the same time formulate a cooperation agreement on cybersecurity.

She requested that the two sides continue to actively coordinate and support each other at regional and international forums and organizations, such as ASEAN and the United Nations.

Malaysia should continue to coordinate with Vietnam and other ASEAN countries to maintain solidarity, central role and common stance of ASEAN in addressing regional issues, she said.

Ambassador Tan Yang Thai vowed to work hard during his new working term in Vietnam to foster the Malaysia – Vietnam cooperative relations in the coming years.

He expressed hope that relevant Vietnamese agencies would facilitate Malaysians’ travel, study and investment in their host country.

At a meeting with Cambodian Ambassador Chae Kimtha, Acting President Xuan affirmed Vietnam always attaches great importance to and gives high priority to consolidating and enhancing the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia.

She proposed that during her working term, the new ambassador help to effectively implement cooperation agreements between the two countries’ parties, governments, ministries and localities, including those running along the common border.

The Acting President noted the two countries should continue to actively coordinate and support each other at regional and international forums, while joining hands in building an increasingly developed ASEAN.

Ambassador Chae Kimtha welcomed Acting President Xuan’s proposals and vowed to do her utmost to cement the traditional ties between the two countries.

The diplomoat also thanked Vietnam to assisting Cambodia in successfully hosting the ASEAN Year 2022 and providing medical supplies to help Cambodia contain COVID-19.