Representatives from Vietnamese localities meet with Swiss partners on the sidelines of the dialogue. — VNA/VNS Photo

ZURICH — The Swiss-Vietnamese Economic Forum (SVEF) and the Embassy of Việt Nam in Switzerland has organised a dialogue between Vietnamese provinces and Swiss partners to explore the potential for cooperation between Vietnamese and Swiss localities.

The June 10 event taking place in Trustsquare in Zurich attracted more than 100 participants, including representatives from Vietnamese localities such as Bạc Liêu, Vĩnh Long, Huế, Quảng Bình and Phú Yên, as well as representatives of Swiss businesses, international organisations and policy makers.

As a kick-off activity for SVEF 2025 slated to take place on June 23, the dialogue created a platform for direct discussions between Vietnamese local authorities and Swiss partners on priority areas such as smart agriculture, clean energy, technological innovation and sustainable finance.

Through two discussion sessions, representatives of Vietnamese localities shared their development orientations, investment needs and cooperation desires. Meanwhile, Swiss and international experts provided strategic perspectives on innovation, sustainable investment and ways to expand regional cooperation through global partners.

Outstanding speakers came from investment funds such as UBS Wealth Management, Asia Green Real Estate, Sinoswiss Holding, Emerald Fund, Lumiton Solar, Mission Possible Capital and the University of Zurich.

The bilateral connection programme between local delegations and Swiss businesses held afterwards opened up many practical cooperation directions in key areas such as agricultural technology, renewable energy, sustainable tourism, education and research.

Attending the event, former vice chancellor of Germany Philipp Rösler affirmed that locality-to-locality cooperation will create strong links, with long-term practical impacts. He said the dialogue is a solid foundation for specific cooperation that will be promoted in the main event on June 23. — VNS