Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Pereric Hogberg (Photo: VNA)

In his address, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Pereric Hogberg reviewed the milestones in the past decades of bilateral relations, adding that Sweden was the first Western European nation to have established ties with Vietnam.

He said: “We need to keep in mind that it’s not only the government-to-government relations, but also the relations between the Swedish and Vietnamese people. Over the years, thousands of the Vietnamese have taken part in training programs in Sweden, in universities, and worked for Swedish companies. Thousands of Swedes have lived and worked in Vietnam. Last year 50,000 Swedes visited Vietnam. This is the bond that is still developing.”

Dinh Toan Thang, Head of the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thanked the valuable assistance of the Swedish government and its people for their support of Vietnam’s development over the past half century.

“When mentioning Sweden, many generations of Vietnamese people remember the movement to protest the war in Vietnam, especially in the image of late Prime Minister Olof Palme who led a demonstration to support the anti-American war of resistance in Vietnam. Throughout changing circumstance, both countries have maintained relations towards a close partnership based on their shared goals of sustainable development,” Thang said.

The current two-way trade revenue reaches more than 1 billion USD per year and is forecast to increase.

The outstanding cooperation projects between Vietnam and Sweden include Uong Bi Hospital, the Hanoi-based National Hospital of Pediatrics, Bai Bang Paper Plant, as well as administrative reforms in law and taxes.

This year both countries will jointly organize the Vietnam-Sweden Business Forum, the ASEAN Forum in Sweden, the Vietnamese Day, and the Vietnamese Art Gala in Sweden.