Swedenwill also speed up negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) betweenVietnam and the EU to ensure it will be completed in 2014, Minister forTrade and Nordic Cooperation of Sweden Ewa Bjorling told Deputy PrimeMinister Vu Van Ninh, who is in Stockholm for a four-day working visitto the northern European country from April 9.
The Deputy PMwelcomed the Swedish Government for adopting a policy to encourageSwedish companies to invest in the Vietnamese market and said theVietnamese Government will facilitate Swedish enterprises to dolong-term business in Vietnam.
Both host and guest expressedtheir delight at the positive development of economic cooperation whichhas become a major pillar in the Vietnam-Sweden relationship.
DeputyPM Ninh expressed his appreciation for the support of the SwedishGovernment and the Minister for a number of activities marking the 45thanniversary of the Vietnam-Sweden diplomatic ties (1969-2014).
He reiterated Vietnam’s external policy of strengthening and developingrelations with traditional countries in northern Europe, includingSweden.
At a meeting with Speaker of the SwedishParliament Per Westerberg earlier the day, Deputy PM affirmed thatVietnam attaches great importance to strengthening and developingrelations with the country's traditional friends in northern Europe,including Sweden.
He thanked the Swedish people for its supportfor Vietnam during the years of the anti-America resistance war, as wellas the provision of official development aid (ODA) worth more than 3billion USD over the past years.
He informed the Speaker onVietnam’s recent socio-economic development accomplishments, positiveGDP growth as well as measures to control inflation and restructureoperations of the financial and banking system.
Regarding tradecooperation and FTA negotiations between Vietnam and other countries,Ninh thanked the Swedish Parliament for ratifying the Vietnam-EUPartnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), and expressed his hope thatthe Swedish Parliament will speed up the FTA negotiations betweenVietnam and the EU.
The Deputy PM took the occasion to extend aninvitation to a high-level delegation from Sweden to visit Vietnam toattend the 132nd General Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union 132(IPU-132) slated for March next year.
He also wished Sweden the best of success in the upcoming elections to be held in September 2014.
Forhis part, Per Westerberg said that Sweden supports internationalcommercialisation which needs to strictly comply with internationalstandards and meet proposed criteria, noting that it desires to step uptrade and economic cooperation with Vietnam for the benefit of bothpeoples.
Sweden is paying attention to Vietnam’s effortsto strengthen its banking sector, carry out reforms, increasetransparency and fight corruption, he added.
Sweden will send a senior parliamentary delegation to attend the Vietnam IPU-132, he affirmed.
Also the same day, Deputy PM Ninh had a working session with Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Frank Belfrage.
Belfragecongratulated Vietnam on its rising regional and international status,while voicing the Swedish government’s interest in strengthening goodrelations with Vietnam.
Host and guest agreed to boostcoordination on regional and international forums especially at theUnited Nations and ASEAN.
The Deputy PM affirmed Vietnam’s willingness to serve as a bridge for Sweden to develop a relationship with ASEAN members.
Belfrage affirmed Sweden’s support for the settlement of disputes inthe East Sea by peaceful means and on the basis of international law.
The Deputy PM also received Swedish Volvo Bus Group representatives which is keen on the Vietnamese market.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh and his delegation are scheduled toleave Stockholm on April 12 for London for their official visit to theUK at the invitation of Government of the UK and Northern Ireland.-VNA