Vice President’s official visit helps to foster closer ties with Sweden
VOV.VN - Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan’s official visit to Sweden from November 10 to November 13 will help to consolidate and deepen the sound time-honoured friendship between the two countries, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Sweden Tran Van Tuan.
In a recent media interview, the Vietnamese diplomat highlighted the significance of VP Xuan’s trip, the first ever made by a Vietnamese Vice President, saying it will come at a crucial moment as both sides are celebrating the 55th anniversary of the diplomatic relations (1969-2024).
During her stay, the VP is set to meet with Sweden’s top parliamentary and government leaders to discuss a range of measures to strengthen mutual understanding, deepen ties between the two countries' people, as well as developing bilateral co-operation in a more practical fashion. Several Memoranda of Understanding between the two ministries and sectors will also be signed as part of this occasion.
The Vietnamese diplomat emphasized that VP Xuan’s trip demonstrates the nation’s commitment to creating a stable and favourable environment for investment and business activities of Swedish enterprises, adding that a centerpiece of the economic agenda is the Vietnam – Sweden Business Roundtable focusing on digital transformation and sustainable development, all of which are the areas of the European country’s expertise and Vietnam’s demand.
The trip, he said, is expected to provide fresh impetus to boosting collaboration between firms of both sides in those domains, with the highlight being the announcement of a direct maritime route connecting Vung Tau port in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Sweden's Gothenburge port, which is set to advance two-way trade moving forward.
Furthermore, VP Xuan is scheduled to meet with the Vietnamese community in the European nation, during which she will affirm the Party and State’s unwavering policy of considering the overseas Vietnamese an inseparable part of the nation and encouraging them to make contributions to the development of the homeland, he said.
According to Ambassador Tuan, Vietnam and Sweden have enjoyed a time honour relationship and co-operation, with Sweden being the first European nation to recognize and set up diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1969.
Sweden has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the nation during its struggle for national independence, freedom, peace, and reunification, as well as its current construction and development. Over the past 55 years, the two sides have nurtured and deepened ties and obtained noble achievements across multiple sectors.
He stressed the robust political confidence between the two countries, with the Vietnamese side seeing Sweden as a good friend and a trustworthy partner in Northern Europe, whilst Sweden views the country to be an important partner in Southeast Asia. He therefore highlighted regular political consultations and delegation exchanges, particularly those at a high level, which have created important momentum to enhance the traditional ties across politics, economics, trade, investment, science-technology, culture, education, and health care, among others.
As many as 107 pacts and 12 bilateral agreements were signed between the two countries, 42 of which are still valid, serving as an important basis to ramp up co-operation in the new era of science-technology and sustainable development, he said.
He went on to stress that Sweden is one of the largest ODA provider for the Vietnamese side, helping the country with its poverty reduction efforts and socio-economic development, adding that the European nation has assisted Vietnam in training experts in various domains such as agro-forestry, health care, electricity, the press, and communications.
Additionally, both countries have enjoyed robust trade ties, with last year’s two-way trade reaching roughly US$1.3 billion and US$966.77 million during the past eight months of this year, an annual rise of 11%. Currently, Sweden is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Northern Europe, while Vietnam is the biggest importer of Sweden in Southeast Asia.
As of June, Sweden had poured US$743.65 million into 111 projects throughout Vietnam, ranking 29th among 143 countries and territories landing investments in the nation. Meanwhile, the country has injected around US$5.2 million into Sweden since 2019.
Both sides have maintained strong culture-education co-operation over the recent past, with major cultural events held to mark the 55th anniversary of diplomacy, helping tighten the friendship between their people, Ambassador Tuan added.
