Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh called on the Canton of Bern of Switzerland to enhance partnerships with Vietnamese localities while meeting with its governor Christoph Ammann in Bern city on July 5.

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (R) met with Governor of
the Canton of Bern Christoph Ammann in Bern city on July 5

The Vice President, who is in Switzerland to attend the 29th Global Summit of Women from July 3 to 7, reiterated that Vietnam always treasures the traditional friendship and cooperation with Switzerland.

 Bilateral relations have been growing well, particularly in trade and investment, she noted, adding that Switzerland is currently an important trade and investment partner of Vietnam in Europe.

 The Vietnamese Government is making efforts to create a transparent and favourable environment for foreign businesses, including those from Switzerland, to operate, especially in the fields matching Switzerland’s strength and Vietnam’s demand like precision mechanics, finance – banking, insurance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agricultural processing and tourism, Thinh said.

 She called on Bern businesses to increase connections with Vietnamese firms, asking the administration and enterprises of Bern, as well as of Switzerland, to strongly support the completion of talks on a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association, of which Switzerland is a member, so as to create a new driving force for the two countries’ economic links.

 The Vice President also asked Switzerland, including Bern, to share experience and assist Vietnam to develop a high-quality educational system, particularly in vocational training and connecting training with scientific-technological development at universities and research centres.

 The canton of Bern should also enhance cooperation with Vietnamese localities, especially in the spheres it has strength in such as tourism, high technology and environment, thereby contributing to the two countries’ relations.

 For his part, Ammann affirmed that the canton of Bern and Switzerland always attach importance to the friendship and cooperation with Vietnam.

 The canton will make use of this good chance to promote ties with Vietnamese localities in different areas, including education – training, high technology, precision mechanics and finance – banking, in which Vietnam has demand for and Bern has advantages, he added.

 Also on July 5, Vice President Thinh had a meeting in Bern with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese permanent mission to the UN in Geneva, leaders of the Switzerland – Vietnam Friendship Association and representatives of Vietnamese people in the country.