HCMC – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa in Hanoi on May 12, calling for stronger trade and investment ties between the two countries.
At the meeting held at the Government Office in Hanoi, Prime Minister Chinh reaffirmed Vietnam’s appreciation for its longstanding friendship with Sweden and expressed hope that Dousa’s visit would boost bilateral ties.
He emphasized Vietnam’s readiness to serve as a gateway for Swedish goods to enter the ASEAN market. In return, he suggested Sweden could help Vietnamese products reach the Nordic region, helping both countries achieve sustainable development goals.
He emphasized that Vietnam values its long-standing friendship with Sweden and express confidence that Minister Dousa’s visit will open up new opportunities for cooperation in the coming years.
Trade between the two countries has been growing, reaching US$1.5 billion in 2024, a 15% year-on-year increase. However, Chinh said this current trade volume remains a modest figure considering the potential between the two nations.
He called for more visits and meetings between Vietnamese and Swedish leaders and facilitate stronger collaboration in areas like green growth, digital transformation, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and technology.
Minister Dousa expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s warm welcome and noted Sweden’s admiration for the country’s rapid and sustained economic growth. He described Vietnam as a peaceful, stable, and dynamic economy, achieving over 7% growth in 2024 and targeting 8% in 2025.
Echoing Prime Minister Chinh’s view on the untapped potential in bilateral ties, he pledged to advocate for early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by the remaining EU member states and to continue working with the European Commission on removing the illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing yellow card on Vietnam’s seafood exports.
