The Vietnam-Switzerland relationship has grown strongly in various fields over the past years, stated Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Pham Hai Bang.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Pham Hai Bang (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – TheVietnam-Switzerland relationship has grown strongly in various fields over thepast years, stated Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein PhamHai Bang.
In an interview with the Vietnam NewsAgency on their bilateral ties, the diplomat said that in terms of politics, seniorleaders from both sides have held regular visits and meetings, while also coordinatingclosely in international forums, especially within ASEAN, ASEM, and Francophonemeet-ups.
Switzerland has supported Vietnam’s run fora seat at the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure, while Vietnam has similarlybacked Switzerland’s candidacy for the council in the 2023-2024 tenure.
Political and human rights consultationshave been regularly implemented by the two foreign affairs ministries.
In the field of economics, Ambassador Bangcited statistics from Switzerland’s customs agency showing that two-way tradeover the past five years reached over 7.9 billion CHF (7.92 billion USD), withVietnam enjoying a trade surplus.
Switzerland is the third largest Europeaninvestor in Vietnam with direct investment totalling nearly 2 billion USD. In the 2017-2020 period, the Swiss Governmentcommitted 90 million CHF in official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam.
During Swiss Minister of Environment,Transport, Energy, and Communications Doris Leuthard’s Hanoi visit in April2018, the two sides signed a new aviation transport deal that will allow Swissairline Edelweiss Air to open a direct route linking Zurich and Ho Chi MinhCity from this November, creating opportunities for bilateral tourism and tradecooperation, said Bang.
The Ambassador highlighted that Vietnam andthe European Free Trade Area (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, are negotiatinga free trade agreement.
Once the agreement is signed, economic and tradecollaboration between Vietnam and Switzerland, as well as other members of theEFTA, is expected to expand strongly, he stated. –VNA
The executive board of the Association of Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts in Switzerland (AVIES) debuted on June 2 at the headquarters of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the UN, WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, Switzerland.
Under the sponsorship of the Switzerland-Vietnam Association (SVA), Binh Minh School, the first Vietnamese language teaching school in Switzerland, was established in 2017.
Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Beatrice Maser Mallor has expressed her delight at the two countries’ relations, stressing that Vietnam and Switzerland have cooperated in multiple spheres.
The resolution on such mechanisms aims to serve as a legal basis for opportunely dealing with difficulties and hindrances caused by legal regulations in important, priority, and urgent areas that require immediate settlement so as to unlock resources, facilitate economic development, and turn legislation into a competitive edge.
PM Pham Minh Chinh instructed chairpersons of the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to strictly follow the Ministry of Finance's guidelines on handling public finances and budgets, with a focus on preventing wastefulness, misconduct, or corruption.
Knapper reaffirmed the US's commitment to supporting a strong, independent, prosperous and resilient Vietnam, while respecting each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence and political systems.
Vietnam is deeply concerned about the escalating and complex conflict in the Middle East, which poses a serious threat to the lives and safety of civilians, as well as to regional and global peace and stability.
The Vietnamese Embassy advises the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in Israel to strictly comply with directions from the Home Front Command and local authorities.
Lawmakers are set to vote on revisions and amendments to a broad spectrum of legal frameworks and impactful resolutions during the final week of the 15th NA's 9th session.
The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (SCOVA) has served as a bridge connecting and uniting the community with the homeland, becoming a trusted source of support for Vietnamese expats in times of hardship.
The programme to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses has achieved notable results, with nearly 263,000 housing units addressed to date, including 225,000 houses inaugurated and 38,000 under construction. Thirty-eight provinces and cities across the nation have already fulfilled their targets.
Stronger efforts and determination are required to achieve and surpass the set targets, especially in the eradication of makeshift and dilapidated houses nationwide, the acceleration of public investment disbursement, and the implementation of nationally important transport projects, PM Pham Minh Chinh noted.
The trip will be made at the invitations of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF President and CEO Børge Brende, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Long spoke highly of the dynamic, positive, and comprehensive development of Vietnam – Russia relations in recent years. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State place great importance on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in a substantive and effective manner, in line with the development needs of both nations.
At the conference, participants reported that the Government has so far issued 28 decrees on the delegation of responsibilities and powers between the central Government and two-tier local administrations. Several localities have already piloted the new governance model.
Reality is the ultimate benchmark for success, he said, urging drafting agencies to work out policies that foster development, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and respect practical conditions.
Under the official dispatch signed on June 20, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees are requested to concentrate efforts on implementing core measures to ensure the smooth operations of the new administrative framework.
The Party chief underscored the need for the press to innovate relentlessly, evolve to keep pace with the country's development, transform into a truly professional, humanistic, and modern sector that serves the cause of the Party, the State, and the people on the path to national construction and development.
The UN Secretary-General praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and international integration in recent years, noting that the country has emerged as a model in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting international peace and security, and engaging in key UN processes.
Nghia affirmed that this is a milestone of special significance, affirming and honouring the the Vietnamese revolutionary press’s glorious tradition of 100 years of serving the revolutionary cause of the Party, serving the Fatherland, and serving the people.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Pham Hai Bang (Photo: VNA) 
