At the reception (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – As a friend, a reliable partner and an active and responsible member of the international community, Vietnam wishes to enhance cooperation with Switzerland in all areas, President Vo Van Thuong told President of the National Council of Switzerland Martin Candinas during a reception in Hanoi on June 30.
President Thuong suggested Candinas back the strengthening of bilateral ties across the board, especially in politics-diplomacy, economy, trade and investment and at global and regional forums.
Vietnam is making strong efforts to improve investment environment, thus creating more favourable conditions for foreign investors, including those from Switzerland, he said.
According to him, Switzerland is strong in finance, banking, manufacturing and renewable energy, which are also fields of Vietnam’s demand. He wished that with its role and position, Switzerland would urge other member states to sôn conclude negotiations and sign the Vietnam-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Free Trade Agreement to step up the pillar of investment and trade cooperation between the two countries in the coming time.
He thanked the Swiss Government for actively assisting Vietnam in ODA supply, and hailed effective bilateral collaboration in tertiary education and wished that the two countries would further push forward people-to-people exchange, laying a solid foundation for bilateral ties in the future.
Candinas, for his part, said Switzerland always considers Vietnam a priority country in developing cooperative relations.
Agreeing with the Vietnamese President’s proposals, he said Swiss firms wish to expand long-term operations in Vietnam.
About the Vietnam-EFTA free trade agreement, he said relevant agencies are actively completing talks to soon sign the document.
Switzerland will further step up coordination with Vietnam in the field of education, especially vocational training, he said, adding that with its strengths in automation and robotics, Switzerland is ready to partner with Vietnam in industrial production, contributing to deepening bilateral partnership in the time to come./.
