Leaders of Stockholm University of Economics welcome Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to visit and deliver a policy speech at the school - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
On the morning of June 12 (local time, afternoon of the same day Hanoi time), during his official visit to Sweden, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and delivered an important policy speech at the Stockholm University of Economics, with the theme of revitalizing and enhancing the Vietnam - Sweden relationship, a bridge to promote peace , cooperation and development in Southeast Asia and Northern Europe.
Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and members of the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation.
Stockholm School of Economics has a long history as one of Europe's leading prestigious universities for business education.
The first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam
Opening his speech here, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his special impression with the school's educational philosophy, encapsulated in the word "FREE" (abbreviation of: Fact and science based mindset; Reflective and self aware; Empathetic and culturally literate; Entrepreneurial and responsible). That is: Practical and scientific thinking; Self-reflection and self-awareness; Empathy and culture; and Entrepreneurship and responsibility.
According to the Prime Minister, this demonstrates the spirit of generosity, openness and freedom of the Swedish country and people. The Prime Minister said that 80 years ago, in the Declaration of Independence of Vietnam drafted and presented by President Ho Chi Minh on September 2, 1945, "independence, freedom, happiness" were the most important keywords and later became the motto in official documents of the Vietnamese State. President Ho Chi Minh also emphasized: Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom. To gain independence, freedom and happiness, the Vietnamese people had to pay the price with blood and tears and it can be said that in the 20th century, no people or country experienced as much pain and loss as the Vietnamese people and country.
The Prime Minister said that this visit to Sweden takes place at a time of special significance, right on the occasion of Vietnam celebrating important historical milestones: 80 years of National Day (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025), 50 years of Southern Liberation and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).
The Government and people of Sweden have always been loyal, close and affectionate friends of Vietnam. The Prime Minister recalled that in 1969 - when Vietnam's struggle for independence and national reunification was at its fiercest - Sweden was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This was a courageous decision.
It was in Stockholm, nearly 6 decades ago (1968), that the late Prime Minister Olof Palme led a torch-bearing march against the US war in Vietnam. On April 30, 1975, also in Stockholm, Swedish people took to the streets to celebrate the historic victory of the Vietnamese people in liberating the South and reunifying the country. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the country's liberation (April 30, 2025), Vietnam received the documentary "Victory Vietnam" presented by Swedish friends.
Vice Rector of Stockholm University of Economics welcomes Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to visit and deliver policy speech at the school - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
In the memories of many Vietnamese people, Sweden is a living symbol of kindness and sincere help. The Swedish Children's Hospital, the Vietnam-Sweden Uong Bi Hospital, and the Bai Bang Paper Factory have become symbols that will live forever in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.
The Prime Minister said that Vietnamese people love songs with deep but romantic and meaningful melodies like ABBA's "Happy New Year" - this is also the New Year greeting of many generations of Vietnamese people.
Visiting Sweden this time, the Vietnamese delegation hopes to open a new phase for the traditional friendly cooperation between the two countries: more open, deeper, more connected in all fields, together contributing positively to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and the world.
In that spirit, the Prime Minister spent time sharing about 3 main contents: (1) Overview of the current world and regional situation; (2) Vietnam's development orientation; (3) Vision of Vietnam - Sweden relations in the new era.
The Prime Minister said that Vietnam is committed to being a loyal friend and companion of Sweden forever. When Vietnam has determined a new vision, creating a fundamental shift in the country's development thinking, the two countries need to build new symbolic works in bilateral relations - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Vietnam - Sweden need to share and connect resources
According to the Prime Minister, the world situation continues to develop in a complex and unpredictable manner, with profound and comprehensive changes, many issues are unprecedented and beyond forecast; overall peace, but locally there is war; overall reconciliation, but locally there is tension; overall stability, but locally there is conflict.
In current international relations, there are six major contradictions: (i) Between war and peace; (ii) Between cooperation and competition; (iii) Between openness, integration and independence, autonomy, protection; (iv) Between solidarity, association and separation, division, fragmentation; (v) Between development and backwardness; (vi) Between autonomy and dependence.
Along with that, according to the Prime Minister, in the new era of deep connection and integration - the era of intelligence, digital technology and innovation, the future of the world is being strongly impacted by 3 key factors and shaped and led by 3 pioneering fields.
The three main influencing factors are: (1) The explosive development of science and technology, innovation, especially digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI); (2) The negative impact of traditional and non-traditional security challenges (climate change, natural disasters, resource depletion, environmental security, food security, water security, cyber security, population aging, transnational crime, etc.); (3) The increasing trend of separation, zoning, and polarization in a number of areas under the impact of global geo-strategic and geo-economic competition.
The three areas shaping, leading and pioneering are: (1) Developing digital economy, green economy, circular economy; (2) Innovation, startups and the 4.0 industrial revolution; (3) Developing high-quality human resources and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Prime Minister emphasized that the world is facing many issues of a national, comprehensive, and global nature that no one can solve alone; thinking, methodology, and approaches to solving practical problems must be national, comprehensive, and global; requiring all countries and regions to promote international solidarity, multilateralism, international law, and the United Nations Charter.
In that context, Vietnam and Sweden need to continue to cooperate closely, uphold values and preserve peace, maintain independence and self-reliance; promote solidarity and extensive, substantive international cooperation in the spirit of goodwill, equality and mutual respect, and comply with the United Nations Charter and international law. The new context requires the two countries to make efforts to improve their self-reliance, self-reliance, share and connect resources, and respond together more flexibly and effectively to emerging issues.
The Prime Minister shared three main contents: Overview of the current world and regional situation; Vietnam's development orientation; Vision of Vietnam - Sweden relations in the new era - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Create a fundamental shift in development thinking
Sharing Vietnam's development orientation, the Prime Minister said that in terms of fundamental factors and development perspectives, Vietnam consistently focuses on building three fundamental factors: Building socialist democracy; building a socialist rule-of-law state; and building a socialist-oriented market economy.
Vietnam has a consistent viewpoint throughout: Maintaining political and social stability, social order and safety - security - safety - people's safety; taking people as the center, the subject, the goal, the driving force and the most important resource of development; not sacrificing progress, social justice, social security and the environment to pursue economic growth alone.
Vietnam focuses on implementing 6 key policies:
Firstly, economic development is the central task; building an independent, self-reliant, and self-reliant economy associated with proactive, active international integration that is deep, substantial, and effective.
Second , cultural development is an endogenous strength, the spiritual foundation of society - "culture lights the way for the nation" - "when culture exists, the nation exists, when culture is lost, the nation is lost".
Third, focus on ensuring social security, constantly improving people's material and spiritual life.
Fourth , focus on building a clean and strong political system; promote the fight against corruption, negativity and waste.
Fifth, implement an independent and self-reliant foreign policy; multilateralize and diversify; be a good friend, a reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the international community; for the goal of peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
In the current international context, Vietnam has determined that it must both cooperate and fight, correctly identify the objects of struggle and cooperation partners; put aside the past, respect differences, exploit commonalities, limit disagreements, and look to the future. Sharing more about the field of artificial intelligence, the Prime Minister said that technology is global, but artificial intelligence must belong to each nation, each nation must have its own database to have its own artificial intelligence.
Sixth, ensuring national defense, security and foreign affairs is an important and regular task; building an all-people national defense posture, a people's security posture associated with a solid people's heart posture; implementing the "4 no's" national defense policy.
Delegates attend Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's policy speech at Stockholm University of Economics - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Delegates attend Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's policy speech at Stockholm University of Economics - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Delegates attend Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's policy speech at Stockholm University of Economics - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Sharing with Swedish friends about the achievements Vietnam has made after nearly 40 years of Doi Moi, the Prime Minister also emphasized valuable lessons : Nothing is more precious than independence - freedom, firmly holding the flag of national independence and socialism; the people make history, the revolutionary cause is of the people, by the people and for the people; unity is an invincible strength, constantly consolidating and strengthening unity (unity of the whole Party, unity of the whole people, national unity, international unity); combining national strength with the strength of the times, domestic strength with international strength; the correct leadership of the Party is the leading factor deciding the victory of the Vietnamese revolution.
Along with that are the lessons learned from the past years: (1) Respect time, intelligence, timely decisiveness; look far, look wide, think deeply, do big things; surpass yourself, overcome your own limits; (2) Grasp the situation, stick to reality, respond to policies proactively, promptly, flexibly, and effectively; (3) Resources start from thinking, motivation comes from innovation, strength comes from people and businesses; (4) Must have high determination, great effort, and drastic action; with the spirit of turning nothing into something - turning difficult into easy - turning impossible into possible; (5) The more pressure, the more effort - consider difficulties and challenges as opportunities to promote innovation, creativity, and restructuring.
Regarding the vision and main orientation for the coming time, the Prime Minister said that the leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam, headed by General Secretary To Lam, have put forward a new vision - that is to develop a rich, civilized, and prosperous country in the era of the Vietnamese people's rise; strive to successfully implement two 100-year strategic goals: By 2030, becoming a developing country with modern industry and high average income, and by 2045, becoming a developed country with high income.
Vietnam is continuing to promote three strategic breakthroughs in the direction of open institutions, transparent infrastructure, and smart governance; focusing on implementing the revolution of streamlining the apparatus, organizing a 2-level local government model, and implementing the pillars: Breakthrough in science and technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation; promoting international integration in the new situation; building and enforcing laws; developing the private economy; improving the quality of education and training, shifting from knowledge training to comprehensive training, especially life skills, developing learners' qualities and capacities; innovating the health system, shifting from medical examination and treatment to comprehensive and continuous health care, focusing on preventive medicine and primary health care.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the spirit is to create a fundamental shift in development thinking, from passively solving work to proactively serving people and businesses, from management to creation, from passive integration to proactive integration, from decentralized reform to comprehensive, synchronous and profound breakthroughs; promote decentralization and delegation of power associated with resource allocation, improve implementation capacity and strengthen inspection and supervision.
Leaders of Stockholm University of Economics present books to the Prime Minister - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Prime Minister presents souvenir to Stockholm University of Economics - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Proposing 5 breakthroughs in Vietnam - Sweden relations
Regarding the new vision for Vietnam-Sweden relations in the new era, on the basis of traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the two countries need to jointly implement five breakthroughs, thereby exploiting and optimizing development resources, enhancing the potential of the countries and people's lives of the two countries, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Firstly , breakthroughs in political and diplomatic relations, through all channels: Party, State, National Assembly and people. Promoting common values (love of peace, independence, sincerity, upholding multilateralism, international solidarity, respect for international law...), political trust and deep friendship between the two countries.
Second, create breakthroughs in economic, trade, investment and development cooperation, commensurate with the level of relations and economic position of the two countries; connect the two economies.
Third, breakthroughs in cooperation in the fields of science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and green transformation, considering this a new driving force for bilateral cooperation. The two countries need to urgently implement and concretize the Strategic Partnership on science, technology, and innovation established during this visit. As a powerhouse in science and technology, we hope that Sweden will continue to support and accompany Vietnam in the breakthrough in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
Fourth , create breakthroughs in responding to and resolving common regional and global challenges; promote the spirit of "cooperation - partnership". The Prime Minister said that he had just attended and delivered a speech at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (with the participation of Sweden and many EU members). In particular, Vietnam and Sweden are two maritime countries - the sea is a space for survival, development and security, with particularly important strategic significance; hope that Sweden will continue to support Vietnam in improving its research capacity, protecting marine resources and developing a sustainable marine economy.
Fifth, make breakthroughs in people-to-people exchanges, culture, arts, tourism, and cooperation in local development, creating favorable conditions for citizens of the two countries to study and live in the host country; support high-quality human resource training and welcome many Vietnamese students.
The Prime Minister hopes that the two countries will continue to build new symbolic works in bilateral relations, especially cooperation in training high-quality human resources with the expectation that there will be Vietnamese people studying and researching in Sweden in the future who can win the Nobel Prize - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Building new symbolic works in bilateral relations
On this occasion, the Prime Minister thanked the Government and people of Sweden for always caring for and creating favorable conditions for the community of more than 22,000 Vietnamese people in Sweden to stabilize their lives, integrate and actively contribute to the socio-economic development of the host country.
"After nearly 6 decades of companionship, cooperation and development, we have many stories to tell, many things to talk about, many programs to act on. We pledge to always be a loyal friend, accompanying Sweden, whatever you need, whatever we can do, we will do our best. We are always proud of the good traditions between the two countries, always united, sharing, supporting each other in difficult times, moving forward together, exploiting the advantages of the current situation and context, building a strong, prosperous country, the people are increasingly prosperous and happy", the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister hopes that the two countries will continue to build new symbolic works in bilateral relations, especially cooperation in training high-quality human resources with the expectation that there will be Vietnamese people studying and researching in Sweden in the future who can win the Nobel Prize.
The Prime Minister was pleased to learn that Stockholm University of Economics has a tradition of cooperation with Vietnam, and that many Vietnamese students studying and researching at the school are loved, cared for, and looked after.
The Prime Minister suggested that the school continue to promote cooperation with Vietnam in research, education and training, experience sharing, developing teaching staff, building facilities, learning materials and data.
The Prime Minister suggested that Stockholm University of Economics could establish a sister university and cooperate with a university in Vietnam, such as the National Economics University, to contribute to promoting the core values that are similar between the two countries.
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/with-a-new-mind-of-mind-vietnam-van-mai-la-nguoi-ban-thuy-chung-cua-thuy-dien-102250612170552138.htm
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