Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, his spouse Lê Thị Bích Trân, and Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria. VNA/VNS Photo

STOCKHOLM — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính had a meeting with Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria and her spouse Prince Daniel on June 12 (local time) as part of his official visit to the European country.

The Crown Princess expressed deep appreciation for the traditional friendship between the two nations and shared her profound impressions on her 2019 visit to Việt Nam, praising the Vietnamese people's friendliness and the country's remarkable culture and cuisine. The royal couple expressed their eagerness to return to Việt Nam soon to explore the country's rural regions and experience more of its authentic character.

Lauding Việt Nam’s socio-economic development, Princess Victoria stressed that Việt Nam stands among very few nations worldwide to maintain high economic growth amidst current global challenges.

PM Chính, for his part, conveyed greetings from Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, State President Lương Cường, and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn to the couple, while extending an invitation to them to visit Việt Nam in October on the occasion of the signing of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hà Nội.

The Vietnamese Party, Government, and people always bear in mind the pure and heartfelt support from the Swedish royal family and people during Việt Nam's struggle for national liberation and reunification in the 1960s and current national development efforts, PM Chính noted.

He also recalled the image of Prime Minister Olof Palme leading protests in Stockholm in solidarity with the Vietnamese people, a gesture deeply etched in national memory.

PM Chính expressed sincere appreciation for Sweden's recent gift to Việt Nam - a documentary by director Bo Öhlén, which captured the vibrant atmosphere in Stockholm on April 30, 1975, when Swedish citizens took to the streets to celebrate the Vietnamese people's victory.

The Vietnamese Government leader cited longstanding symbols of the bilateral friendship such as the Bãi Bằng Paper Mill, the Việt Nam National Children's Hospital, and Uông Bí Hospital, which have resonated emotionally with generations of Vietnamese, adding both peoples have strengthened their bonds through intellectual – cultural values.

The two sides expressed their satisfaction over the positive development of the bilateral ties across all areas, particularly following the royal couple’s Việt Nam visit, with the political – diplomatic relations having been unceasingly consolidated.

PM Chính proposed that the Swedish royal family continue to enhance exchanges at all levels, while fostering local partnerships and people-to-people diplomacy to lay the groundwork for expanded cooperation across other fields.

Acknowledging the Crown Princess’s advocacy on global issues like climate change, poverty reduction, and child welfare, PM Chính shared Việt Nam’s ambition to become a high-income, developed nation by 2045, with a strong emphasis on social welfare, prosperity, and children’s comprehensive development.

Princess Victoria expressed hope for increased economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries in the coming time, noting tremendous potential for further development.

Both sides agreed on the importance of enhancing cultural cooperation, including music exchanges and cultural events, to promote mutual understanding and strengthen people-to-people exchange. — VNA/VNS