State President Nguyen Minh Triet's first visits to Belarus, Switzerland and Finland aimed to promote comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the three European countries, particularly in economics, trade and investment.

 

On the morning of May 23 (Hanoi time), State President Nguyen Minh Triet returned to Hanoi, successfully concluding his tour of Belarus, Switzerland and Finland, ushering a new period in friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and all the three European nations.

 

Belarus, Switzerland and Finland - Vietnam's important partners in Europe gave their valuable support to Vietnam’s past struggle for national liberation and its current process of national construction. However, economic, trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and these three countries has yet to match their fine political relations. For example, last year's two-way trade turnover with Belarus and Finland reached only US$120 million and US$230 million, respectively.

 

Mr Triet's visits were successful in the following results: Leaders and people of Balarus, Switzerland and Finland attached great importance to enhancing their traditional friendship with Vietnam and affirmed their determination to develope their friendly relations and reliable partnership with the country.

 

Mr Triet and the three countries' leaders agreed on major solutions to strengthen multi-faceted cooperation through the signing of joint statements and important agreements during the visit.

 

Belarus, Switzerland and Finland highlighted Vietnam's role in the region and the world and expressed their willingness to act as a bridge to the promotion of relations between Vietnam and Europe and Vietnam is also ready to do the same to help the three countries to expand their relations with South East Asia.

 

During the visit, Vietnam reached many specific agreements to step up economic, trade and investment cooperation with the three countries which considered this to be a focus in their future cooperation with Vietnam. Switzerland and Finland pledged to continue  providing more official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam with priority given to green technology, safe water, afforestation, clean energy, response to clime change, scientific research and vocational training.

 

Vietnam and the three countries agreed to create the best possible conditions for businesses to penetrate each other's regional markets.

 

In Mr Triet's visit to Switzerland, Vietnam and four member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed a statement to start their joint feasible study on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation.

 

Vietnam and Belarus signed a framework agreement on agricultural cooperation and other agreements to muturally recognise each other's market economy status with the aim of raising two-way trade turnover to US$1 billion in the next few years and increasing cooperative efficiency in oil and gas industry, banking, tourism, health care and labour.

 

Switzerland wants to make long-term and effective investment in Vietnam, engage in the Vietnamese bond market and provide financial consultancy for major projects in Vietnam on infrastructure development, urban management and transport.

 

Vietnam and Finland agreed to raise two-way trade and Finnish investments in the Southeast Asian country to US$1 billion, respectively within the next few years. Finnish businesses were keen to cooperate with Vietnam in green technology, and renewable energy.

 

Belarus, Switzerland and Finland want to increase cooperation with Vietnamese universities and leading research centres. They pledged to provide scholarships and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese students to study in their countries while considering them to be a bridge to their friendship with Vietnam.

 

President Triet's visit showed that relations between Vietnam and Belarus, Switzerland and Finland have great potential for further development. Belarus is strong in industry, agriculture, science and education while Switzerland and Finland are developed industrial countries strong in banking, finance, tourism and production of high value industrial products.

 

Vietnam has an abundant workforce, a strong market and political stability, therefore, many countries have seen Vietnam as an attractive and safe destination for investment.

 

With the positive results, the visit will add fresh impetus to making friendly relations and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Belarus, Switzerland and Finland more effective.

 

In the near future, it is essential to implement effectively the agreements and documents reached during the visit, finalise a legal framework for businesses to establish direct partnership, run business and penetrate each other' markets.

 

With the joint efforts, relations between Vietnam with Belarus, Switzerland and Finland will continue to develop fruitfully, on a par with their potential, meeting aspirations and interests of Vietnam and all the three countries.

 

VOV