Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his spouse visit family of late Swedish PM Olof Palme. VNA/VNS Photo

STOCKHOLM — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and his spouse visited the family of late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme on June 12 afternoon (local time) as part of their official visit to Sweden.

Chính was moved to express his respect and gratitude to late PM Olof Palme - a great, loyal, and close friend of the Vietnamese people.

He conveyed regards and wishes from Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, State President Lương Cường, and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn to the family of the late Swedish leader.

Thanking the family for preserving the memories and good values that the late leader left behind, PM Chính said that they are always an important bridge of friendship between the two nations.

He said PM Olof Palme contributed not only to Sweden’s development but also to peace, cooperation and development of nations around the world.

When it comes to Sweden, Vietnamese people think of PM Olof Palme whose name is associated with protests against the war in Việt Nam from the 1960s until Việt Nam's reunification in 1975, PM Chính emphasised.

During Việt Nam’s post-war recovery, Sweden once again stood side by side with the country, he said, noting that Sweden has been a leading Western nation in supporting Việt Nam in healthcare, education, human resource training, among other fields. He highlighted that Sweden provided Việt Nam with around $3 billion in non-refundable aid — the highest among Northern European countries.

Projects that bear the hallmark of Việt Nam–Sweden cooperation include the Bãi Bằng Paper Mill, the Việt Nam National Children's Hospital, and Uông Bí Hospital, along with training programmes for officials, experts, doctors, and engineers.

PM Olof Palme publicly expressed his support for the just struggle of the Vietnamese people and his actions offered great source of encouragement and motivation, becoming part of the Việt Nam's history, Chính affirmed.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese leader invited PM Olof Palme's family members to visit Việt Nam again and revisit the works associated with the late leader.

For their part, the hosts affirmed their strong support for Việt Nam and its people. — VNS