Participants attend a webinar on Vietnam hosted by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (Photo: VNA) The event, which was held within the framework of the Webinar Week of the Explore ASEAN Project, focused onhow ASEAN can handle consequences caused by the COVID-19 crisis throughcollaborative efforts and transparent and effective communications.
Apart from studying ASEAN's digitaltransformation, the project has also focused on technological solutions torespond to climate change, towards sustainable development. Vietnam and twoother ASEAN countries - Singapore and Thailand - were selected as key researchcountries in the project.
Speaking at the seminar, Lan emphasised thehigh determination and consensus of the Vietnamese Government and people in thefight against COVID-19, saying that Vietnam has successfully controlled the pandemic.
Vietnam has achieved a "dual goal" of keeping the pandemic undercontrol and maintaining economic growth, with its GDP growth expanding by 2.91percent in 2020 as many countries in the world falling into seriouseconomic recession, she said.
The world's financial institutions areoptimistic about the economic growth prospects of Vietnam in 2021, the ambassador added.
Referring to factors that strongly support economicrecovery in the coming time, Lan emphasised positive effects from the signing of a series of new generation free trade agreements (FTAs) betweenVietnam and its partners, particularly the EU–Vietnam FTA (EVFTA) which isexpected to support the post-COVID-19 economic recovery in countries.
In November 2020, asthe Chair of ASEAN 2020, Vietnam successfully promoted the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, withthe aim of liberalising trade and investment and strengthening economiccooperation among 15 Asia-Pacific economies, including 10 ASEAN membercountries and five partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealandand the Republic of Korea, Lan said.
The above-mentioned factors help reinforceVietnam’s comparative advantage to strongly attract the shifting wave ofinvestment flows and global production and supply chains to Vietnam amid impactsof the US-China trade war and the COVID-19 crisis, the diplomat stressed.
Regarding economic cooperation between Vietnamand Switzerland, the ambassador affirmed that opportunities and potentialfor the two sides in the coming time still remain huge.
According to the diplomat, Switzerland is an important trade partner and the 6th largest Europeaninvestor in Vietnam with a total investment of about 2 billion USD, focusing onprocessing, manufacturing, and electricity industries. Vietnam is home to nearly100 Swiss enterprises and groups.
Since 2012, Vietnam and the EFTA states, including Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein, have officially negotiated a FTA. Currently, the two sides arespeeding up their negotiation process in a bid to sign the deal in 2021.
Lan also updated participants onVietnam’s policies on investment attraction, development prospects, and strategiesto respond to climate change in the time to come.
Initiated by FHNW University in 2001, the "ExploreASEAN" Project aims to provide students with knowledge about ASEAN economies and promoteconnection between businesses and training institutions, thus contributing tostrengthening economic cooperation between Switzerland and ASEAN countries./.
Referring to factors that strongly support economicrecovery in the coming time, Lan emphasised positive effects from the signing of a series of new generation free trade agreements (FTAs) betweenVietnam and its partners, particularly the EU–Vietnam FTA (EVFTA) which isexpected to support the post-COVID-19 economic recovery in countries.
In November 2020, asthe Chair of ASEAN 2020, Vietnam successfully promoted the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, withthe aim of liberalising trade and investment and strengthening economiccooperation among 15 Asia-Pacific economies, including 10 ASEAN membercountries and five partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealandand the Republic of Korea, Lan said.
The above-mentioned factors help reinforceVietnam’s comparative advantage to strongly attract the shifting wave ofinvestment flows and global production and supply chains to Vietnam amid impactsof the US-China trade war and the COVID-19 crisis, the diplomat stressed.
Regarding economic cooperation between Vietnamand Switzerland, the ambassador affirmed that opportunities and potentialfor the two sides in the coming time still remain huge.
According to the diplomat, Switzerland is an important trade partner and the 6th largest Europeaninvestor in Vietnam with a total investment of about 2 billion USD, focusing onprocessing, manufacturing, and electricity industries. Vietnam is home to nearly100 Swiss enterprises and groups.
Since 2012, Vietnam and the EFTA states, including Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein, have officially negotiated a FTA. Currently, the two sides arespeeding up their negotiation process in a bid to sign the deal in 2021.
Lan also updated participants onVietnam’s policies on investment attraction, development prospects, and strategiesto respond to climate change in the time to come.
Initiated by FHNW University in 2001, the "ExploreASEAN" Project aims to provide students with knowledge about ASEAN economies and promoteconnection between businesses and training institutions, thus contributing tostrengthening economic cooperation between Switzerland and ASEAN countries./.
VNA
