Commemorating a national day is an exceptional event for any country. On August 1, Swiss nationals in Switzerland and all over the world proudly remember the founding of their country in 1291. Observing this year’s Swiss national day here in Vietnam is singularly special. Not only is Switzerland reminiscing the 730th centenary of its foundation. This year, Vietnam and Switzerland are also looking back on half a century of bilateral diplomatic relations. Moreover, 2021 also marks three decades of Swiss-Vietnamese development cooperation.

 

The coincidence of two significant jubilees in our countries’ relations extends well beyond symbolism. Switzerland was one of the very first Western countries to establish bilateral ties with Vietnam on 11 October 1971. But Swiss-Vietnamese relations already started in the 19th century, thanks to adventurous Swiss trading companies coming to Vietnam. Later, Swiss born bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin followed: he spent most of his life in Vietnam, where he became an “honorary citizen”. In 1954, Switzerland as neutral country hosted the Geneva Conference on Indochina, in which Vietnam was directly involved. Those initial contacts and ties created a solid foundation for the establishment of the bilateral relations.

Today, we look at a wide range of cooperation between the two countries, including between companies and individuals from academia, culture and civil society at large. Economic relations have taken a central stage, as Vietnam has been very successful in spurring its economic development and is an attractive partner for Swiss business. Global challenges like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic not only offer but ask for new cooperation modalities - cooperation that is geared towards a more inclusive growth and a better environment. The global need to change the way we lead our life and do business is opening up a wide field for interesting discussions.

One area I would like to personally promote are discussions on promising new technologies that not only address environmental challenges but also help ensure that the economy continues to provide jobs and incomes. In short, this comes down to searching for a new kind of prosperity, one that gives more weight to humans and the earth. Famed Swiss Bertrand Piccard has put together 1,000 innovative tech solutions that he is ready to present here in Vietnam. Another area close to my heart is the field of peace promotion and mediation: I see also here good opportunities for Vietnam and Switzerland to work together, learn from each other and jointly progress and offer their share to global peace.