During their meeting on the occasion of National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s visit to Sweden, the two sides agreed to further promote exchange of visits in order to create an impetus to stronger multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. They also pledged to work closely and support each others at regional and international forums, especially at the United Nations.
They affirmed to support for global trade liberalisation, and agreed to accelerate the official signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Regarding cooperation between the two foreign ministries, they agreed to hold the first political consultation at deputy minister level in Hanoi by the end of 2017, foster links in personnel training, and soon negotiate to sign a visa exemption agreement for diplomatic passport holders.
During the meeting, the two sides also compared notes on regional and international issues of common concern, including the East Sea issue. The Vietnamese official congratulated Sweden on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2017-2018.
State Secretary Soder affirmed with the position, Sweden will make contributions to maintaining peace, stability and security in the world by respecting international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Sweden is one of the important trade partners of Vietnam in Europe, with two way trade at 1.2 billion USD, she said, stressing the need to raise Swedish investment in Vietnam from the current 93.7 million USD.
The NA Chairwoman expressed her delight at visiting the Ericson Group, which is present in 180 nations over the world, including Vietnam. She said she hopes the group will consider the expansion of its investment in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Ngan told Sweco leaders that Vietnam is paying much attention to the strong fields of the group such as smart city design and construction and wastewater treatment.
