Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

GENEVA — Many Swiss experts have welcomed the upgrading of the Việt Nam-Switzerland relations, which was agreed by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter during their recent talks in Davos, seeing it as a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

Philipp Rösler, Honourary Consul of Việt Nam in Switzerland and former Deputy Chancellor of Germany, stated that PM Chính leading a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos provided an opportunity for Việt Nam to showcase its achievements in nation building, particularly in the economic field.

He noted that an economic growth rate of over 7 per cent is an impressive achievement, given the difficulties faced by many other countries. Congratulating the Vietnamese Government, Rösler expressed a hope for further contributions to fostering cooperation between the two countries.

In the coming time, Switzerland will continue to support Việt Nam through its 2025-2028 Development Cooperation Programme, under the patronage of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs Education and Research. The programme aims to help Việt Nam achieve its goal of becoming a sustainable high-income economy.

The two countries will collaborate in areas such as innovation, green finance, intellectual property, and sharing experience in building and developing an international financial centre in Việt Nam.

Commenting on this cooperation, Rachel Isenschmid, a member of the Swiss-Việt Nam Economic Forum (SVEF), said that as Việt Nam is ready to enter a new era - the era of the nation's rise to become a country with high-income and sustainable development, with every individual and organisation playing a key role.

She said she believes that elevating the cooperation between Việt Nam and Switzerland at this critical time will have a positive impact on achieving her country’s goals. In the coming period, SVEF activities will focus on projects that promote collaboration between governments, organisations, businesses, and individuals from both countries, she added.

Việt Nam and Switzerland are also expected to explore the potential for expanding joint academic initiatives, training programmes, and tourism cooperation. The two countries have agreed to prioritise collaboration in areas such as innovation, science and technology, and knowledge sharing in the near future.

According to Dr. Lưu Vĩnh Toàn, a senior expert at Move Digital AG in Zurich, the two countries can enhance cooperation in fields like human resources development, research and development in renewable energy production and application. He described this as a significant opportunity and a long-awaited prospect for many overseas Vietnamese and intellectuals who have contributed to strengthening bilateral relations over the past 50 years.

Dr. Toàn expressed his hope that Việt Nam and Switzerland would continue to deepen cooperation in education, particularly in high-tech areas of great interest to Việt Nam, such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, robotics, smart health care, and fintech. He said he believes that with its dynamic, open market, rich resources, and skilled workforce, Việt Nam presents a reliable partner for Switzerland to expand its market and join the manufacturing supply chain. — VNS