Creating momentum, promoting cooperation, bringing Vietnam-Sweden relations to new heights

Within the framework of his official visit to the Kingdom of Sweden, on the afternoon of June 12 (local time), at the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Speaker of the Parliament Andreas Norlen and leaders of political parties, including the Moderate, Democratic, and Liberal Party.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President of the Swedish Parliament Andreas Norlen. (Photo: VGP/NHAT BAC)

Welcoming Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on an official visit to Sweden, Speaker of the National Assembly Andreas Norlen expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to further deepening the traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Sweden in the coming time.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his pleasure at meeting with Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Andreas Norlen and thanked the Swedish Parliament and people for their warm and thoughtful welcome to the Vietnamese delegation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh respectfully conveyed the greetings of General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to National Assembly Chairman Andreas Norlen and senior Swedish leaders.

The two leaders agreed that Vietnam and Sweden need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation on the basis of good traditional friendship, through Party, Government, National Assembly channels and people-to-people exchanges, contributing to promoting multilateralism and international solidarity. (Photo: VGP/NHAT BAC)

The Prime Minister stressed that Vietnam always attaches importance to and wishes to strengthen the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Sweden. He recalled the anniversary of Prime Minister Olof Palme holding a torch to march against the war and support Vietnam, and emphasized that Sweden's decision to establish relations with Vietnam was a courageous decision, based on justice and conscience.

The Prime Minister shared that the Party, State and people of Vietnam always remember the noble gesture of Sweden when it provided Vietnam with non-refundable aid of about 3 billion USD, the largest in Northern Europe. The aid was used very meaningfully, serving healthcare, education and people's lives with many symbolic projects such as the Central Children's Hospital, Bai Bang Paper Factory, many Swedish universities have trained about 200 experts for Vietnam, the people-to-people exchange between the two countries is very close, a natural connection.

The Prime Minister affirmed that this visit will contribute to creating momentum to promote cooperation between the two countries, bringing the relationship to a new height. The two sides will act as a bridge for each other to develop relations with ASEAN and the EU. (Photo: VGP/NHAT BAC)

The Prime Minister affirmed that this visit will contribute to creating momentum to promote cooperation between the two countries, bringing the relationship to a new height. The two sides will act as a bridge for each other to develop relations with ASEAN and the EU.

In the context of profound, complex and unpredictable changes in the world, with challenges that are global, national and comprehensive, and that no country can solve on its own, the two leaders agreed that Vietnam and Sweden need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation on the basis of good traditional friendship, through Party, Government, National Assembly and people-to-people channels, contributing to promoting multilateralism and international solidarity.

National Assembly Chairman Andreas Norlen affirmed his readiness to cooperate to help Vietnam achieve its 100-year goal of becoming a high-income developed country by 2045. (Photo: VGP/NHAT BAC)

The Prime Minister assessed that Swedish enterprises still have much room for cooperation and investment expansion in Vietnam in areas of strength such as artificial intelligence, information and communication technology, semiconductors, etc., especially in the context that Vietnam has just implemented new policies, especially the four pillars of institutions, science and technology, private economy and international integration, promoting the removal of bottlenecks to increase foreign investment attraction, rapid and sustainable development.

The Prime Minister also asked the Swedish Parliament to help mobilize the remaining EU member states to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and for the EC to soon remove the IUU yellow card on Vietnamese seafood exports. Vietnam will also encourage its high-tech enterprises to invest in Sweden.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh writes in the guestbook at the Swedish Parliament. (Photo: VGP/NHAT BAC)

In response to the concerns of representatives of political parties in the National Assembly about the situation in Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that national independence, freedom and people's prosperity and happiness are always the goals of the Party and State of Vietnam. Vietnam shares the view with Sweden that ensuring a prosperous, free and happy life and the pursuit of happiness is the highest democracy.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister thanked Sweden for facilitating the Vietnamese community in Sweden's integration into the locality, making positive contributions to the local socio-economy and the relationship between the two countries.

The Speaker of the Swedish Parliament assessed that the relationship between the two countries has developed well, including dialogue and cooperation between the two parliaments. He stressed that Sweden was the first Western country to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam; and is ready to cooperate to help Vietnam realize its 100-year goal of becoming a high-income developed country by 2045.

The two leaders expressed their belief that the visit will contribute to further deepening the traditional friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Sweden in the coming time. (Photo: VGP/NHAT BAC)

The two sides discussed a number of international and regional issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea.

As two maritime nations, Vietnam and Sweden affirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, freedom of navigation and aviation on the basis of the rule of law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), peacefully resolving disputes on the basis of international law, and not using or threatening to use force.

At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister respectfully conveyed the invitation to visit Vietnam from National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to National Assembly Chairman Andreas Norlen. National Assembly Chairman Andreas Norlen happily accepted the invitation.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tao-xung-luc-thuc-day-hop-tac-dua-quan-he-viet-nam-thuy-dien-len-tam-cao-moi-post886467.html