A delegation of the Swedish parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs is on a working visit to Viet Nam from March 2 to 5 to enhance dialogues on issues of mutual concern, promote parliamentary cooperation and share experiences in policy development.
National Assembly Deputy Chairman Tran Quang Phuong on Monday welcomed a delegation of the Swedish parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Led by the committee's chair Aron Emilsson, the delegation is on a working visit to Viet Nam from March 2 to 5.
Expressing gratitude for Sweden's support of Viet Nam's struggle for independence in the past and on its development path today, Phuong said that Việt Nam values enhancing ties with Sweden.
The NA Deputy Chairman updated the Swedish delegation on Viet Nam's socio-economic growth, saying that after nearly 40 years of Đổi mới (Renewal), the country has made substantial and comprehensive achievements on its development path, notably in sustainable poverty reduction and building new-style rural areas.
The Southeast Asian nation also made a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Viet Nam also put efforts into revamping its political system and State management for better and more efficient governance, with the restructuring of its public sector largely completed.
Reiterating that Sweden is an important partner of Viet Nam in Scandinavia, Phuong expressed satisfaction on the progress of their cooperation in trade, economy, investment, education and people-to-people exchanges.
The Vietnamese legislator proposed increasing high-level delegation exchanges, as well as collaboration at the Party, State and parliamentary levels to enhance political trust and cooperation momentum in other areas.
Particularly at the parliamentary level, the two countries are expected to increase exchanges among committees, focusing on policymaking, supervision and decision-making on national issues, especially in regard to the green transition, digital transformation, planning, renewable energy development and other parliamentary activities.
Phuong suggested that the two legislative bodies continue their oversight on government policy implementation in their areas of collaboration, ensuring the alignment of cooperation agreements with national laws and international commitments.
The two leaders also support upgrading bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership.
Underscoring the importance of Việt Nam - Sweden ties, Swedish parliamentarian Emilsson said he hoped to see further progress in bilateral cooperation based on past encouraging results.
The purpose of this working visit is to enhance mutual understanding and dialogues on issues of mutual concern, promote parliamentary cooperation and share experiences in policy development, he said.
As for the potential to elevate their ties to a Strategic Partnership in the future, Emilsson recommends increasing collaboration in digital skill training, trade and economic ties, as well as culture, education, science and technology, and national defence and security.
On the same day, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son also received the delegation.
At the meeting in Hanoi, Son emphasized the significance of the long-standing friendly relations between Viet Nam and Sweden, and thanked the European country for its valuable assistance to Viet Nam in the struggle for national independence and reunification in the past, as well as in the current process of renovation and international integration.
He highlighted major milestones in bilateral relations and urged both sides to maintain exchanges and strengthen cooperation in areas where Sweden excels and Viet Nam prioritizes, such as trade and investment, innovation, science and technology, digital transformation, energy transition, human resource development, and education and training.
The Deputy PM also asked the Swedish parliament to encourage other European Union member states to ratify the EU – Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) as soon as possible, thus opening new opportunities for cooperation between the business communities and investors of both countries.
Emilsson, for his part, shared his admiration for the achievements Viet Nam has made in recent years. He confirmed that Viet Nam is an important partner for Sweden in Southeast Asia and that there is ample potential to further elevate the relationship between the two countries.
He agreed with Son's views on further enhancing economic cooperation, focusing on Sweden's areas of strength. He also emphasized the importance of promoting educational and cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges to increase mutual understanding and contribute positively to bilateral relations across all fields.
The two sides exchanged information about their respective socio-economic development situations and foreign policy implementation, as well as several regional and international issues of common interest.
They agreed that Viet Nam and Sweden should continue to strengthen cooperation within multilateral and regional frameworks to address global challenges, particularly issues related to security, peace, and sustainable development./.
Source: VOV, Vietnamnet.