President of the National Council of Switzerland Martin Candinas. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Presidentof the National Council of Switzerland Martin Candinas will pay an official visit to Vietnam from June 27-30 at the invitation of Chairman of theVietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue.
The visit demonstrates Switzerland's appreciationfor Vietnam and serves as an important parliamentary diplomatic activity toresume high-level exchanges between the two countries following the COVID-19pandemic.
The friendship and cooperation between Vietnam andSwitzerland have been thriving over the past years. In terms of politics anddiplomacy, the two sides have regularly maintained the exchange of high-level delegations and meetings.
However, due to COVID-19, two-way trade decreased 6.8% year on year to nearly 806 millionUSD in 2022.
Switzerland ranks 21st in terms offoreign direct investment in Vietnam, with 206 valid projects worth around1.9 billion USD. The two sides are accelerating the conclusion of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association(EFTA).
About development cooperation, Vietnam has remained one of the fewcountries in Switzerland's list of priority partners. In March 2021,Switzerland announced the Switzerland-Vietnam Development Cooperation Programme forthe 2021-2024 period, with an ODA budget of 78 million CHF (76 million USD).
In 2023, Switzerland is increasing itsinvestment in advanced, hi-tech, clean industry and environmental projects with modernmanagement that bring added value, global production chain connectivity andsupply.
Switzerland expects Vietnam to create favourableconditions for its long-term operations in finance, banking, insurance,manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agricultural processing, renewable energy andtourism.
The European country suggested Vietnam createfavourable conditions regarding immigration and work permits for Swiss expertsand businesses. In the private sector, Switzerland is ready to assist Vietnamin transitioning to a circular economy, which requires clear regulations onrenewable energy, upgrade of the power grid, and allows modern waste managementand recycling facilities.
Switzerland supports Vietnam and shares the same viewof respecting international law, fairness, and equality at the United Nations,as well as promoting the role of women in peacebuilding through concreteactions.
The Vietnamese community in Switzerland now groups8,000 people, more than half of them obtained Swiss citizenship but stillretain their Vietnamese nationality. The Vietnamese Association inSwitzerland and the Switzerland-Vietnam Friendship Association opened BinhMinh school in Zurich to teach Vietnamese language to the Vietnamese community.
The friendship and cooperation ties between the two legislatures havebeen growing, with regular high-level visits and meetings to share experience.
The Friendship Parliamentarians’ Groups of the two countries wereestablished and carried out various activities to bolster parliamentaryrelations and bilateral cooperation.
The two sides have been regularly working togetheron global and regional issues at multilateral forums such as theInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF).
Talking with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) before the visit, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass stressedthat Switzerland always values its friendship andcooperation with Vietnam, while also recognising Vietnam as an increasinglyimportant economic partner. There is still ample room for further cooperationbetween the two countries.
He expressed wish to hasten talks on the Vietnam-EFTA Free Trade Agreement, enhance bilateral coordination to realise sustainabledevelopment goals in finance-banking, start-ups and entrepreneurship, sci-tech,education-training, tourism, climate change adaptation, and people-to-peopleexchanges, which are the topics to be discussed with Vietnamese leaders duringCandinas' visit./.
