Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc holds phone talks with his Swedish counterpart Stefan Löfven. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

 HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and his Swedish counterpart Stefan Löfven discussed the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and enhancing the two countries’ relations during phone talks on Wednesday.

PM Phúc informed the Swedish PM of the overall measures Việt Nam had been taking, the Vietnamese Government’s resolve to control the outbreak, and the positive outcomes it had seen so far, including the safety of Vietnamese citizens and foreign nationals in the country.

He asked Sweden to provide healthcare and support for Vietnamese nationals living in the Scandinavian country during the pandemic. He also expressed Việt Nam’s readiness to share information and experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with Sweden, and to strengthen ties with other countries and international organisations in this regard.

Valuing Việt Nam’s outstanding achievements in combating COVID-19, PM Löfven expressed his thanks for the medical assistance and treatment given to Swedish citizens in the country suffering from the virus.

He said he hoped the two countries would exchange experience and increase co-operation in disease prevention and control, within both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, especially as Việt Nam held key positions in ASEAN and the UN Security Council, thereby helping to foster international co-operation.

PM Phúc also said that Sweden was an important and trustworthy partner of Việt Nam in the EU.

He expressed his appreciation for the valuable assistance provided to Việt Nam by the Swedish Government and its people over the decades, and hoped that bilateral ties would be further strengthened.

PM Löfven also expressed his delight at the development of the friendship and multifaceted co-operation between Việt Nam and Sweden.

He called on both sides to build on their achievements and tap into co-operative potential in different spheres, particularly sustainable development, innovation, and trade and investment, while bringing into play the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement and Investment Protection Agreement.

The two PMs highly valued the outcomes of the official visit to Sweden by PM Phúc in May last year on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

They agreed to enhance existing co-operative mechanisms and lift bilateral links to new heights to meet the development demands of both countries. The two would also work closely together at international and regional forums, as Việt Nam was ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-21.

PM Phúc again invited his Swedish counterpart to visit Việt Nam, who replied he would arrange the trip soon. — VNS