Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm hold discussions with Swiss President Guy Parmelin in Hà Nội on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photos Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm held talks with Swiss President Guy Parmelin in Hà Nội on Saturday afternoon.

General Secretary and President Lâm welcomed President Parmelin, his spouse and the high-ranking Swiss delegation on their two-day official visit to Việt Nam on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

He expressed his appreciation for Switzerland as one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic ties with Việt Nam, as well as for the Swiss President’s affection for the Southeast Asian country and its people.

Showing his pleasure at meeting President Parmelin again following their phone talks in May 2026 and their meeting on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2026, the General Secretary and President affirmed that Việt Nam consistently attaches importance to its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Switzerland.

He described the visit as a vivid demonstration of the two countries’ commitment to realising and further deepening their Comprehensive Partnership, established in January 2025.

Congratulating the Swiss Government and people on their achievements, he noted that Switzerland is among the world’s 20 largest economies, with strong competitiveness and a stable society.

He expressed his belief that the prosperity of both Switzerland and Việt Nam will not only serve their respective national interests but also contribute to peace and prosperity in the regions and the world.

The Vietnamese leader briefed his guest on the country’s recent socio-economic development, strategic orientations and foreign policy. He reaffirmed Việt Nam’s high regard for the Comprehensive Partnership with Switzerland and expressed his hope that the two countries will continue to accompany each other in development and contribute to regional peace, stability and development.

For his part, President Parmelin congratulated Việt Nam on its recent achievements and thanked the Vietnamese State, Government and people for the warm and solemn reception extended to him, his spouse and the Swiss delegation.

He welcomed the positive growth in bilateral economic ties, noting that two-way trade has increased by an average of seven per cent annually over the past four years, while investment has risen by eight per cent per year.

He added that a free trade agreement between Việt Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) will create favourable opportunities for businesses to tap the potential for future cooperation.

With more than 100 Swiss companies already operating in Việt Nam, the President highlighted the complementarity between Switzerland’s technological expertise and innovative solutions and Việt Nam’s rapid growth and young workforce.

The two leaders welcomed the strong development of bilateral relations over more than five decades and agreed to strengthen cooperation under the Comprehensive Partnership and make effective use of the coming opportunities offered by the Việt Nam-EFTA Free Trade Agreement.

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and Swiss President Guy Parmelin witness the exchange of cooperation agreements between Vietnamese and Swiss businesses and organisations in Hà Nội on Saturday.

The Swiss leader stressed that medium-sized economies could coordinate through joint economic initiatives to promote multilateralism and free trade, and invited Việt Nam to participate in the Future for Investment and Trade Partnership initiative.

President Parmelin also agreed with six key cooperation priorities proposed by the top Vietnamese leader for the coming period.

These include strengthening political trust through the exchange of high-level delegations and contacts and mutual support at multilateral forums, expanding trade and investment following the signing and implementation of the Việt Nam-EFTA FTA, and encouraging more Swiss businesses to invest in Việt Nam, particularly in seaports.

They also include promoting cooperation between professional agencies, financial and banking agencies and organisations in digital finance, blockchain, digital assets and financial technology; and making science, technology and innovation important pillars of bilateral cooperation by using existing mechanisms between their national science and technology development funds and strengthening academic links between universities and research institutes.

Other priorities are cooperation in the environment, culture and tourism; making defence and security an important cooperation field, particularly in peacekeeping and crime prevention; and continued promotion of people-to-people exchanges.

The two leaders noted that countries are facing growing challenges and risks amid increasing confrontation among major powers. They agreed on the need to strengthen dialogue in a spirit of neutrality. President Parmelin praised Việt Nam’s balanced foreign policy, which, he said, has helped the country establish its position in the region and the world.

On this occasion, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of several cooperation documents between ministries and agencies in the fields of labour, science and technology, trade, and urban development. They expressed their hope that the agreements will be translated into concrete outcomes benefiting businesses and people in both countries.

President Parmelin invited Việt Nam to attend the Geneva AI Summit, scheduled to take place in Switzerland in 2027, to further promote cooperation in this field.

The two leaders expressed their confidence that the official visit by the Swiss President and his spouse will further strengthen friendship, political trust and mutual understanding between the two countries, creating fresh momentum for the Việt Nam-Switzerland Comprehensive Partnership to develop in an increasingly profound, substantive, effective and sustainable manner. — VNA/VNS