New chapter in Vietnam - Switzerland Comprehensive Partnership

Assessing the outcomes of the visit in an interview with the press, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang stated that the event took place at a special moment when bilateral relations met three major milestones: celebrating the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026, implementing the Comprehensive Partnership framework established in January 2025, and signing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with EFTA member states, including Switzerland.

The visit also serves as a concrete step in carrying out the foreign policy set by the 14th National Party Congress and key Politburo resolutions on foreign affairs in the country's new development era.

Switzerland was among the first Western European nations to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

Throughout decades of developing relations, Vietnam treasures Switzerland's companionship, spanning development cooperation, education, and research to assistance when Vietnam faced natural disasters, floods, and epidemics.

Building on that solid foundation, the visit offered an opportunity for both countries to set strategic directions for a new phase in their Comprehensive Partnership.

Switzerland's strengths in research, innovation, finance, and training can connect deeply with Vietnam's development needs and production capacity, thereby jointly developing technology, improving workforce quality, and generating new value.

During the visit, President Guy Parmelin held important talks with Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, and met with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man.

Leaders of both nations affirmed that they attach great importance to bilateral friendship and cooperation, highly appreciating each country's role and position regionally, globally, and within multilateral mechanisms.

Strategic high-level exchanges between Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and President Guy Parmelin opened up major directions, including exchanging delegations at all levels and stepping up high-level contacts and dialogues to augment bilateral cooperation.

Additionally, both sides affirmed they will promote practical implementation in traditional cooperation areas such as politics-diplomacy and trade-investment, while further boosting cooperation in science-technology, innovation, digital finance, international financial centers, high-quality human resource training, and sustainable tourism.

In terms of economics, trade, and investment, a key outcome of the visit was the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and EFTA member states, including Switzerland.

The Vietnam - EFTA Free Trade Agreement marks an important milestone in economic integration.

Once in effect, the agreement will facilitate market access for businesses and expand operations according to agreed commitments. For Vietnam, long-term significance lies in opportunities to connect with quality technology, knowledge, and business networks, thereby enhancing competitiveness and integrating deeper into global value chains.

Conversely, Vietnam offers prospects for cooperation with a dynamic market possessing manufacturing capacity and increasing integration with regional and global economies.

Both sides also identified priority cooperation areas aligned with new development requirements.

Cooperation documents signed during the visit regarding labor, employment, science, technology, and innovation will create a solid foundation for both countries to enhance linkages between investment, research, and training, thereby raising cooperation quality, technology content, and workforce development.

On the multilateral front, both Vietnam and Switzerland conveyed a strong message to the international community supporting sustainable development, multilateralism, free trade, and a rules-based international order amid rising global uncertainty and challenges to the multilateral trading system.

Key outcomes of the visit contributed to deepening the social foundation of relations while affirming the responsibility of both Vietnam and Switzerland in contributing to common international affairs.

Regarding key tasks ahead, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang emphasized that the warm reception for President Guy Parmelin reflected Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, and proactive international integration.

Expanding relations with trusted partners helps the nation diversify markets and access high-quality resources for national development, benefiting both peoples and contributing more actively to global issues.

During the talks, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam directed Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and localities to promptly turn political trust into effective coordination and practical convenience for enterprises, with clear focal points, resources, roadmaps, and results.

Regarding economics, investment, and financial cooperation, building on the signed Vietnam - EFTA FTA, both countries will focus on boosting areas of mutual strength and demand, particularly science-technology, innovation, digital finance, green finance, high-quality workforce training, and infrastructure.

In the coming time, Vietnam and Switzerland are determined to double bilateral trade turnover, which reached over US$1 billion in 2025, and attract Swiss investment shifts into Vietnam.

Therefore, Vietnam needs to carefully prepare institutions, enhance transparency and predictability of the investment environment, thereby facilitating Swiss enterprises to expand investment and long-term business.

In science-technology and innovation, both sides will explore connecting joint research programs under the "State - University - Enterprise" model, promoting technology transfer and commercialization in biomedicine, green energy, digital economy, and agriculture through existing mechanisms between national science development funds, universities, research institutes, and business communities.

In high-quality workforce training and people-to-people exchanges, both nations will continue strengthening training linkages and expert exchanges to leverage Switzerland's leading education and research system in building a workforce that meets development demands in the new phase.

Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang expressed confidence that with positive outcomes achieved and joint efforts from ministries, sectors, and localities, Vietnam and Switzerland will maximize strengths and cooperation opportunities, propelling bilateral relations toward stable and sustainable development for each country's growth, for the benefit of both peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development regionally and worldwide.

Vietnam, Switzerland explore broader scope for cooperation

Swiss President Guy Parmelin’s official visit to Vietnam, and the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have opened up new scope of cooperation for Vietnam and Switzerland.

Stronger parliamentary cooperation to advance Vietnam–Switzerland agreements

VOV.VN - Vietnamese National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man met Swiss President Guy Parmelin in Hanoi on October 18, with both sides emphasising parliamentary cooperation as a means of advancing high-level agreements and deepening their Comprehensive Partnership.