During a phone conversation with President of Switzerland Guy Parmelin, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam expressed Vietnam’s great appreciation for its friendship and diverse cooperation with Switzerland.
General Secretary and President Lam expressed his congratulations to Parmelin on being re-elected for a second term and conveyed his hope that both parties would keep collaborating to successfully implement and further enhance the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership that was initiated in January 2025.
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He highlighted Vietnam's objective to transform into a high-income, developed nation by the year 2045, aiming for an annual growth rate of 10 percent or more. He reaffirmed the country's foreign policy principles of independence, self-reliance, resilience, multilateralism, and diversification. He also emphasized that Vietnam views Switzerland as one of its main partners in Europe and seeks for it to continue being a dependable ally in Viet Nam's new phase of development.
President Parmelin, on his part, extended his congratulations to General Secretary Lam for being elected as State President by the 16th National Assembly and emphasized that Vietnam's swift and widespread developmental progress has left a significant impression worldwide. Parmelin mentioned that Switzerland consistently places a high value on and aims to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam during its reform efforts and the achievement of its national development objectives in the current era.
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In the face of rapidly evolving, intricate, and uncertain global settings, both leaders concurred that their nations need to enhance dialogue, strengthen political trust, and expand cooperation across various fields. The President of Switzerland concurred with the four primary areas of cooperation suggested by the Vietnamese leader, which involve strengthening political trust through frequent exchanges and interactions at all levels and through all channels, as well as effectively implementing the Comprehensive Partnership framework.
Another focus is on making significant progress in trade and investment cooperation that matches the potential and status of both countries, while emphasizing science and technology as a new foundation for bilateral cooperation, with special attention to collaborative research in agriculture, biotechnology, green energy, and the digital economy. National defense and security relations were also recognized as a crucial sector.
The two leaders emphasized the need to speed up discussions to finalize and sign a Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which includes Switzerland.
This would serve to generate fresh momentum for relations in the areas of economics, trade, and investment.
Viet Nam places high importance on intellectual property issues and is prepared to engage in discussions about them with Switzerland and other partners, following international trade regulations, he stated. He suggested that Switzerland share its experience and provide support to Viet Nam in building the country's international financial center and fintech, especially in areas such as digital finance, blockchain, digital assets, and sustainable finance.
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He wished that Switzerland would persist in providing all possible assistance to the Vietnamese community living there to help them establish themselves and prosper, thereby enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the two nations. Concerning multilateral cooperation, the two leaders concurred on enhancing coordination in international forums and within the United Nations framework to tackle shared concerns, grounded in respect for international law, and aimed at ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity both regionally and globally.