Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai (R) and visiting State Secretary of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research Dominique Paravicini in Hanoi on October 26. (Photo: VNA)
Paravicini is in Vietnam to attend the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum 2023 in Hanoi on October 26 and 27. Vietnam is hosting the forum in her capacity as Co-Chair of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) along with Australia.
Welcoming the Swiss official, Khai expressed confidence that the participation of Paravicini and the Swiss delegation will greatly contribute to the overall success of the forum.
Recently, the Vietnam-Switzerland political and diplomatic relations have been dynamic, marked by high-level exchanges that have enhanced mutual understanding, Khai said, stressing a need to maintain and strengthen the ties serving the deepening of the bilateral political trust and cooperation.
The Deputy PM spoke highly of Switzerland's support for Vietnam in times of hardship, especially in terms of ODA funding for poverty reduction, urban development, and investment.
He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government is committed to providing favourable conditions for Swiss companies to expand their long-term investment and business operations in the country, particularly in areas of Switzerland’s strengths and Vietnam’s demand such as finance-banking, insurance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and high-tech agriculture.
Khai stressed Vietnam's eagerness to conclude negotiations for and sign a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and expressed his hope that Switzerland, a member with an important voice in the bloc, will work with other member countries and Vietnam to narrow the remaining gaps and expedite the negotiation process as soon as possible.
He also said he hopes Switzerland will share its experience and support Vietnam in developing a high-quality education system, proposed promoting educational cooperation between the two countries and implementing joint training programmes, and suggested that Switzerland increase scholarships to Vietnamese students.
For his part, Paravicini highlighted that Swiss businesses currently operating and trading in Vietnam are highly optimistic about the market’s potential.
Expressing his hope and confidence that Swiss firms will increase their presence in Vietnam, he said he looks forward to seeing more high-quality Vietnamese products in the Swiss market, and stressed that with a strong foundation in various established fields, Vietnam and Switzerland have ample space to propel forward their cooperation in the time to come./.
Q.Hoa t.h / VNA
