Swiss President Guy Parmelin (left) and Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm on October 17. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Swiss President Guy Parmelin and his spouse, Caroline Parmelin, left Hà Nội on the evening of October 18, concluding a successful two-day official visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and his spouse.

During the visit, the Swiss President, his spouse and the high-ranking Swiss delegation laid a wreath and paid tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum.

The top Vietnamese leader chaired an official welcome ceremony, held talks with President Guy Parmelin and hosted a banquet in honour of the Swiss delegation. The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents. Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and National Assembly President Trần Thanh Mẫn separately met with the Swiss President.

During the meetings, the Vietnamese leaders warmly welcomed President Guy Parmelin, his spouse and the high-ranking Swiss delegation on their official visit to Việt Nam as the two countries celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

They expressed appreciation for Switzerland being one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with Việt Nam, as well as for the Swiss President's affection for Việt Nam and its people.

Việt Nam consistently attaches importance to its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Switzerland, they stressed, describing the visit as a vivid demonstration of the two countries' commitment to realising and further deepening their Comprehensive Partnership, established in January 2025, they noted.

Congratulating Switzerland on its significant achievements, including its position among the world's 20 largest economies, strong competitiveness and social stability, the hosts expressed confidence that the prosperity of Switzerland and Việt Nam not only serves the interests of each country and its people, but also contributes to peace and prosperity in the regions and the world.

President Guy Parmelin recalled his visit to Việt Nam in 2019 and expressed pleasure at witnessing the country's dynamic development. He congratulated Việt Nam on its recent achievements and thanked the Vietnamese State, Government and people for the warm and cordial reception extended to him, his spouse and the Swiss delegation.

He welcomed the positive development of bilateral economic ties, with two-way trade growing by an average of 7 per cent annually over the past four years and investment increasing by 8 per cent per year.

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

He affirmed that the signing of a free trade agreement between Việt Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, including Switzerland, would create valuable opportunities for businesses to tap into the potential for future cooperation, particularly given that more than 100 Swiss companies are already operating in Việt Nam, and against the backdrop of Switzerland’s advanced technologies and promising solutions, coupled with Việt Nam’s rapid economic growth and young workforce.

The two sides expressed satisfaction with the strong development of bilateral relations over more than five decades and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in line with their Comprehensive Partnership, while effectively capitalising on opportunities offered by the Việt Nam-EFTA Free Trade Agreement (VEFTA).

On the evening of October 17, the top leader and his spouse, Ngô Phương Ly, joined President Guy Parmelin and his spouse for a walk along the pedestrian streets around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, where they interacted with local residents. The two spouses also visited Hanoi University of Pharmacy.

On October 18 morning, under the witness of the top leader, Minister of Industry and Trade Lê Mạnh Hùng and representatives of the EFTA member states signed the VEFTA. They included Swiss President and head of the Swiss Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research Guy Parmelin; Liechtenstein Prime Minister and Minister of Government Affairs and Finance Brigitte Haas; Iceland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir; and State Secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Astrid Bergmål.

In the afternoon, Swiss President Guy Parmelin attended and delivered a speech at the Việt Nam-Switzerland Economic Forum 2026. — VNA/VNS