Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Pereric Hogberg (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A press conference took place in Hanoion January 11 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations betweenVietnam and Sweden (January 11, 1969-2019).
Speaking at the event, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam PerericHogberg stated that Vietnam is sure to continue its socio-economic successstory, and that Sweden has remained a close friend of Vietnam in the past,today, and will continue to be in the future.
He stressed that Sweden has been a friend and partner ofVietnam for over half a century, even when the Southeast Asian country wasenduring its hardest times.
According to him, on January 11, 1969, when the war was atits peak in Vietnam, Sweden was the first western nation to establish diplomaticrelations with the country. Swedish official development assistance for Vietnamlasted for 46 years and amounted to more than 4 billion USD. Sweden wasVietnam’s second biggest ODA donor in the 1970s, the biggest in the 1980s, and thefourth biggest in the 1990s.
Bilateral cooperation has been focused on the sectors ofhealth, paper production, afforestation, and administrative reform regardingtaxation and law, with popular projects including the Uong Bi hospital, the VietnamNational Children’s Hospital, and the Bai Bang paper plant.
Sweden has also assisted Vietnam’s Doi Moi (reform) processand poverty alleviation. The country continues its support for Vietnam via itsregional aid programmes for Mekong sub-region countries and other fundingwithin the EU and UN frameworks targeting Vietnam.
The diplomat stated the Vietnam-Sweden partnership is sharedbetween their governments and peoples. Over the years, the two exchanged thousandsof people working and living in their respective countries. In 2017, more than50,000 Swedish tourists made trips to Vietnam.
He said that as Vietnam becomes a middle-income economy, thebilateral partnership is moving toward a more balanced state with a focus on businessand trade.
The ties are growing across trade-investment, researchexchange, education, culture, and tourism, with two-way trade exceeding 1 billionUSD on an annual basis and projected to rise even further. Sweden’s popularfirms like ABB, Eriksson, H&M, IKEA, Volvo, AstraZeneca, Atlas Copco, SKP,Tetra Pak, and Electrolux have all operated in Vietnam. With the EU-VietnamFree Trade Agreement ratified, Swedish presence in Vietnam will no doubt increase.
Hogberg said 2019 will see bilateral high-level visits,cultural exchanges, an internet forum, and the Vietnam-Sweden business summittaking place.
He said he believes the two nations’ friendship will grow,particularly in trade, science, culture, and civil society development.
Dinh Toan Thang, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Departmentof European Affairs, highlighted the period of half a century that Vietnam andSweden have made their way through together.
Vietnam appreciates Sweden’s spiritual and financial assistanceduring its struggle for independence and later national construction period, heaffirmed.
He said the ties are sustained in the new context based on theircommon goals toward sustainable development and a world of peace andcooperation.
Thang pointed to sectors that both sides are interested in,including trade-investment, heath care, education, transport,information-telecomunication, and environmental protection.
He stated the celebration of the 50-year-old ties this yearwill open up new prospects for both nations and boost mutual understandingamong their peoples. –VNA
Speaking at the event, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam PerericHogberg stated that Vietnam is sure to continue its socio-economic successstory, and that Sweden has remained a close friend of Vietnam in the past,today, and will continue to be in the future.
He stressed that Sweden has been a friend and partner ofVietnam for over half a century, even when the Southeast Asian country wasenduring its hardest times.
According to him, on January 11, 1969, when the war was atits peak in Vietnam, Sweden was the first western nation to establish diplomaticrelations with the country. Swedish official development assistance for Vietnamlasted for 46 years and amounted to more than 4 billion USD. Sweden wasVietnam’s second biggest ODA donor in the 1970s, the biggest in the 1980s, and thefourth biggest in the 1990s.
Bilateral cooperation has been focused on the sectors ofhealth, paper production, afforestation, and administrative reform regardingtaxation and law, with popular projects including the Uong Bi hospital, the VietnamNational Children’s Hospital, and the Bai Bang paper plant.
Sweden has also assisted Vietnam’s Doi Moi (reform) processand poverty alleviation. The country continues its support for Vietnam via itsregional aid programmes for Mekong sub-region countries and other fundingwithin the EU and UN frameworks targeting Vietnam.
The diplomat stated the Vietnam-Sweden partnership is sharedbetween their governments and peoples. Over the years, the two exchanged thousandsof people working and living in their respective countries. In 2017, more than50,000 Swedish tourists made trips to Vietnam.
He said that as Vietnam becomes a middle-income economy, thebilateral partnership is moving toward a more balanced state with a focus on businessand trade.
The ties are growing across trade-investment, researchexchange, education, culture, and tourism, with two-way trade exceeding 1 billionUSD on an annual basis and projected to rise even further. Sweden’s popularfirms like ABB, Eriksson, H&M, IKEA, Volvo, AstraZeneca, Atlas Copco, SKP,Tetra Pak, and Electrolux have all operated in Vietnam. With the EU-VietnamFree Trade Agreement ratified, Swedish presence in Vietnam will no doubt increase.
Hogberg said 2019 will see bilateral high-level visits,cultural exchanges, an internet forum, and the Vietnam-Sweden business summittaking place.
He said he believes the two nations’ friendship will grow,particularly in trade, science, culture, and civil society development.
Dinh Toan Thang, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Departmentof European Affairs, highlighted the period of half a century that Vietnam andSweden have made their way through together.
Vietnam appreciates Sweden’s spiritual and financial assistanceduring its struggle for independence and later national construction period, heaffirmed.
He said the ties are sustained in the new context based on theircommon goals toward sustainable development and a world of peace andcooperation.
Thang pointed to sectors that both sides are interested in,including trade-investment, heath care, education, transport,information-telecomunication, and environmental protection.
He stated the celebration of the 50-year-old ties this yearwill open up new prospects for both nations and boost mutual understandingamong their peoples. –VNA
VNA
