Vietnam, Switzerland issue statement on advancing partnership

The following is the full text of the statement:

STATEMENT ON ADVANCING THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM AND THE SWISS CONFEDERATION

1. During the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, on January 21st 2025, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, H.E. Phạm Minh Chính, met with the President of the Swiss Confederation, H.E. Karin Keller-Sutter. The two leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations, domestic developments, and regional and international issues of mutual interest, stressing the importance of dialogue and cooperation in a spirit of friendship and mutual respect.

2. President Karin Keller-Sutter noted Viet Nam’s growing role as a partner in the region, while Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính underlined the great importance of the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Switzerland. The delegations agreed to deepen the bilateral ties, in principle in the form of a comprehensive partnership that reflects the priorities of the current collaboration.

3. Recognising the central role of economic ties in the broader bilateral relations, the two leaders highlighted the potential to deepen mutual economic engagement and explore new opportunities to enhance the complementarities of their economies. They agreed to enhance their efforts and take concrete steps to reach an early conclusion in the current negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

4. President Karin Keller-Sutter expressed Switzerland’s intention to continue supporting Viet Nam through the 2025-2028 Cooperation Programme under the auspices of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, committed to supporting Viet Nam’s aspirations of becoming a resilient sustainable high-income economy. The two sides agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as innovation, green finance, intellectual property, and the exchange of experiences in building and developing an international financial centre in Viet Nam.

5. Recognising the benefits of educational and cultural exchanges, both sides agreed to further explore the potential for expanding joint academic initiatives, training programmes and tourism cooperation. Areas such as innovation, technology and knowledge sharing were identified as promising avenues for further engagement.

6. The role of people-to-people contacts and of the respective diasporas in promoting mutual understanding and building bridges between the two countries was also recognised as an important aspect of the relationship.

7. Both Leaders noted the opportunities for promoting innovation, scientific and technological cooperation, including partnerships between research institutions and possible joint initiatives to support scientific development, such as the initiatives for funding joint scientific research activities through the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and Vietnamese National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED). They also exchanged views on strengthening efforts to address environmental challenges and promote climate resilience, in particular in the context of the Paris Agreement.

8. Both sides reaffirmed the value of cooperation in multilateral fora. They reaffirmed the importance of working together to contribute to prosperity and regional and global stability, strengthening efforts to address global challenges, including environment protection, climate action and water security. Both sides voiced their support for multilateralism and a world order based on international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and the importance of resolving disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

9. The two Leaders expressed their confidence in the future of Viet Nam-Switzerland relations and their resolve to work more closely together to promote the common interests of both nations.