Viet Nam always treasures its traditional friendship with Sweden and wants to further strengthen bilateral ties in diverse areas, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told his Swedish counterpart Stefan Loefven during their talks in Stockholm on 27 May.

At the talks (Photo: VNA)

PM Phuc, who is on an official visit to Sweden from May 26-28, also expressed his delight at visiting the European country on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese people always remember the precious support by the Swedish people during the anti-American war, as well as in its current national development and global integration.

Loefven, for his part, said the visit will create a new driving force for bilateral ties, adding that the Swedish government considers Viet Nam an important partner in the region.

The two PMs shared view that Viet Nam-Sweden ties have thrived in diverse areas at many levels over the past few years, thus tapping each side’s strengths. In particular, the visit to Viet Nam by Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria on May 6-8 has contributed to cementing friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations.

They agreed to facilitate all-level visits and continue effectively implementing bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

As bilateral trade-investment ties have yet to match the two nations’ potential, the Vietnamese PM asked the Swedish government to encourage firms to enhance investment in Viet Nam in fields of their strength, such as manufacturing, chemicals, electronics, information and communications, forest plantation, sustainable wood processing, waste treatment, pharmaceuticals, and the support industry for automobiles.

They also vowed to increase bilateral partnership in innovation, smart urban development, environment, artificial intelligence, information and communications, and healthcare.

Host and guest welcomed the organisation of the Viet Nam-Sweden Business Forum in Stockholm during the visit, and affirmed the importance of promoting connectivity among businesses following the Viet Nam-Sweden Business Summit held in Hanoi during Crown Princess Victoria’s visit.

The Vietnamese PM asked Sweden to support the Viet Nam-European Union (EU) comprehensive partnership. The two PMs promised to work closely together to step up the signing of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement and the EU - Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement in the coming weeks to bring benefits to both sides.

On the occasion, the Swedish government leader presented a letter of intent on an investment credit worth over 2 billion USD in Viet Nam to his guest.

The host also spoke highly of the Vietnamese community’s contributions to prosperity and cultural diversity in Sweden as well as the promotion of bilateral trade and investment.

The two sides pledged to boost liaisons at regional and global forums such as the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting, the ASEAN-EU cooperation, as well as join common efforts to cope with global issues, climate change, and ensure sustainable development.

They reached a consensus on the importance of the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, ensuring navigation and aviation freedom in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Loefven also accepted Phuc’s invitation to visit Viet Nam with great pleasure.

(Source: VNA)