National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man (R) meets with Swiss Council of States President Andrea Caroni in Geneva, July 2025

Relationship built on trust and solidarity

From the early days after diplomatic relations were established on October 11, 1971, Switzerland accompanied Vietnam in its reconstruction period. Initial humanitarian aid programs not only provided material support but also reflected the goodwill and genuine friendship of the Swiss people toward the Vietnamese people.

As Vietnam entered its reform period, Switzerland’s presence became more prominent. Development cooperation programs went beyond financial assistance to focus on strengthening governance, developing high-quality human resources, and encouraging community participation in social projects.

In a recent statement, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass affirmed: “Vietnam has always been one of Switzerland’s most important partners in Southeast Asia. We value Vietnam’s progress in socio-economic development and wish to continue accompanying the country on its path toward sustainable development.”

This commitment has been demonstrated through concrete actions. A notable milestone was in 1991, when the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) opened its permanent office in Hanoi. Since then, Swiss official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam has shifted from poverty reduction to promoting sustainable economic development. Over the past 34 years, Switzerland has provided Vietnam with a total of CHF650 million (US$800 million), focusing on key areas such as poverty reduction, human resource development, public governance, and climate change response.

Advancing economic and trade cooperation in new era

While development cooperation was once the main focus, over the past two decades trade and investment have become a central pillar of Vietnam-Switzerland relations. Switzerland is one of Vietnam’s key trade partners in Europe, while Vietnam is Switzerland’s fourth-largest trading partner in ASEAN. Bilateral trade reached US$811.2 million in 2024, and in the first half of 2025, two-way trade amounted to US$454 million. Vietnam’s competitive exports to Switzerland include seafood, textiles and garments, handbags, footwear, handicrafts, tea, coffee, and spices, while Swiss exports to Vietnam include pharmaceuticals, precision machinery, and chemicals.

On investment, as of December 2024, Switzerland ranked 20th out of 147 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 221 projects and total registered capital of more than US$2.116 billion. Major Swiss corporations investing effectively in Vietnam include Nestlé, Novartis/Ciba-Sandoz, and Roche.

During his recent official visit to Switzerland, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man said: “Vietnam-Switzerland relations are developing very positively. The Vietnamese National Assembly strongly supports the early conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA, comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) to create new momentum for economic, trade, and investment cooperation.”

In the multilateral sphere, Switzerland places increasing value on Vietnam’s role, particularly as Vietnam has advanced integration through free trade agreements such as the one with the European Union. The two countries are actively advancing negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the EFTA.

“We believe that shared values of sustainable development, humanity, and innovation will continue to advance Switzerland-Vietnam relations, not only in bilateral cooperation but also in contributing to solutions for global challenges,” Ambassador Thomas Gass emphasized.