Vietnam, Sweden upgrade relations to sectoral strategic partnership in sci-tech, innovation

Stockholm (VNA) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson on June 13 morning (local time) in Stockholm, as part of his official visit to the European nation.

PM Kristersson welcomed PM Chinh, his spouse, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on their official visit to Sweden, expressing his belief that the visit will create new momentum to further promote the bilateral relations.

PM Chinh conveyed regards from Party General Secretary To Lam, State President Luong Cuong, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to PM Kristersson and other senior Swedish leaders.

He affirmed that his trip visit stands as strong evidence of the traditional friendship and growing multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, which is becoming increasingly substantive and deep-rooted.

The bilateral friendship is valuable assets and a precious foundation for the two nations, PM Chinh said, affirming that Vietnam always deeply cherishes the meaningful support that Sweden has extended to the Vietnamese people during their struggle for national liberation in the past as well as in the country’s national construction and development at present.

Sweden was also the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1969, he said, adding that it was not only the most vocal Western supporter for the Vietnamese people's struggle for national liberation, but also the largest Nordic provider of non-refundable aid to Vietnam during its post-war reconstruction and development.

The Vietnamese leader stressed that as part of his trip, he had visited the family of late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme to express his deep respect and gratitude to the late PM, a great, loyal, and close friend of the Vietnamese people, who wholeheartedly supported Vietnam in its struggle for independence and national reunification.

He sincerely thanked Sweden for recently presenting Vietnam with a documentary film by director Bo Öhlén, which portrays moments of the Swedish people in Stockholm celebrating Vietnam’s victory on April 30, 1975, marking the end of war in Vietnam.

The Vietnam National Children’s Hospital (Vietnam-Sweden Children's Hospital), Uong Bi General Hospital, and Bai Bang Paper Mill, remain lasting symbols of the strong ties between the two countries, he said.

At the talks, both sides shared updates on the development situation in each country. PM Kristersson congratulated Vietnam on its significant achievements in socio-economic development and international integration in the recent past. He affirmed that the Swedish government and people treasure relations with Vietnam and wish to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including trade, investment, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, climate change response, and sustainable development.

Based on the foundation of a glorious history and a bright future, the two PMs agreed that this is the right time to renew the bilateral relationship and elevate it to new heights. They agreed on the need to increase delegation exchanges and visits at all levels, particularly high-level and people-to-people exchanges, to enhance political trust and mutual understanding, paving the way for broader cooperation in other spheres.

PM Chinh noted that, given the strong political ties, the two countries should step up defence and security cooperation, and share experiences and views on global issues, especially amid a rapidly changing and unpredictable world. The two sides also agreed to strengthen coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and international organisations, particularly within the United Nations (UN), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the European Union (EU). They also committed to supporting each other in promoting Vietnam–EU and Sweden–ASEAN relations, contributing to addressing global challenges.

The Vietnamese PM emphasised that Sweden and Vietnam are two economies that can complement each other as Sweden has strengths in technology, innovation, and digital transformation, while Vietnam boasts a large workforce, a market of over 100 million people, and serves as a gateway to the young and dynamic ASEAN market of around 700 million people.

On trade and investment ties, both sides reaffirmed their commitments to facilitating greater market access through the effective implementation of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), aiming to boost bilateral trade to 3 billion USD in the near future.

PM Chinh also called on Sweden to prompt remaining EU member states to soon ratify the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support the European Commission in lifting the “yellow card” imposed on Vietnam’s seafood exports.

PM Kristersson expressed his pride in the early presence of Ericsson in Vietnam and its contributions to the Southeast Asian country’s information and telecommunications technology sector.

On this occasion, the two leaders agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a sectoral strategic partnership in science, technology, and innovation, and pledged to intensify cooperation in various areas, including innovation, high technology, nuclear energy, semiconductors, green and digital transitions. They also committed to strengthening training collaboration, particularly in the development of high-quality human resources.

PM Chinh called on Swedish businesses to increase investments in areas where Sweden has strong expertise and which align with Vietnam’s development priorities, such as innovation; green, digital, and circular economy; renewable energy, and urban planning.

In terms of cultural, sports, tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, both sides agreed to enhance the sharing of policy-making experience in culture, promote tourism, and create favourable conditions for attracting visitors to each country. PM Chinh thanked Sweden for its support to the Vietnamese community living in the European country and requested continued favourable conditions to help them integrate well and contribute to Sweden’s development while serving as an important bridge for the bilateral relations.

On international and regional issues of mutual concern, the two leaders affirmed their viewpoint on backing peaceful and sustainable solutions to conflicts, based on respect for the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law.

Regarding the East Sea issue, both sides supported the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to ensuring peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in this sea which is strategically important to global trade.

PM Chinh extended his invitation to PM Kristersson to soon visit Vietnam and the latter accepted it with pleasure.

Following the talks, the two PMs witnessed the exchange of a sectoral strategic partnership agreement on cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs./.