Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and his delegation met with Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA) Johann Scheneider Ammann and Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs Alain Berset on August 30.

These meeting as part of their five-day tour of Switzerland aimed to review cooperation agreements signed by high-level delegations over the years.

Deputy PM Nhan told Mr Ammann that Vietnam considers Switzerland as its important partner in Europe.

In recent years, he said two-way trade has grown steadily but it is still far from matching the fine political relationship and potential of the two countries.

The Swiss Government should further encourage businesses to invest in Vietnam in areas of their strength such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, finance-banking, insurance, watch production, electromechanics and jewellery, Mr Nhan said.

He also asked Switzerland to support Vietnam in human resources training, finance-banking, tourism industry and pharmaceutical management.

Mr Nhan recalled the commitments made by the FDEA head at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos last year under which Switzerland will help Vietnam train analysis and forecast experts in building finance-banking policies.

For his part, Mr Ammann said his country regards Vietnam as one of the seven countries in the list of economic development priorities.

Switzerland will help Vietnam in labour productivity which is the key to Switzerland’s successful competition with other countries in the world.

Regarding Vietnam’s entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr Ammann said Switzerland always supports Vietnam in opening its doors to market and trade liberalization and combat trade protectionism. His country will share experience with Vietnam in vocational training- a successful training model in Switzerland, he said.  

Mr Ammann expressed hope that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation process between Vietnam and Switzerland will achieve positive results in the near future.

He said he will lead a Swiss delegation of outstanding businesses in finance-banking and tourism to Vietnam next year in the hope that the Vietnamese Government will adopt favourable policies for Swiss businesses, especially pharmaceutical companies operating in Vietnam.

During their meeting, Deputy PM Nhan and Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs Alain Berset discussed measures to boost bilateral cooperation in health care, pharmaceuticals, science and technology, social insurance, employment, tourism and social affairs.

The same day, Mr Nhan and his entourage visited Swissmedic- the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products in Bern.

On August 31, they left for Basel, 100 km from Bern to visit some Swiss pharmaceutical companies and will leave Switzerland for Bulgaria on September 1

(VOV)