Prime Minister visits Vietnamese embassy staff, expatriates in Sweden

The PM expressed his pleasure to visit Sweden on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Sweden diplomatic ties.

He stressed that the Vietnamese Party and people always bear in mind the valuable assistance from Sweden in the most difficult time of the resistance war for national independence.

Though Sweden’s investment in Vietnam remains modest, investors from the Scandinavian country are running projects using the world’s leading modern technology in information technology and telecommunication, the PM said.

Besides which, Sweden has actively supported Vietnam in green development, environmental protection, education and culture, he added.

He highly evaluated the working outcomes of the Vietnamese Embassy in Sweden in the fields of external affairs and citizen protection.

He praised the embassy for promoting trade between the two countries as well as Sweden’s investment activities in Vietnam.

The PM informed the overseas Vietnamese about Vietnam’s socio-economic situation and asked them to make more contributions to the cause of national building and development

He expressed the hope that the OVs will build on their achievements and integrate better in their host society.

Ambassador Doan Thi Phuong Dung said Sweden has a special traditional friendship with Vietnam and was the first western country to recognise and establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam on January 11, 1969.

She reported to the PM that the bilateral relations have shifted from development aid to partnership, adding that the two countries have regularly exchanged high-level delegations, with the most recent visit to Vietnam by Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria Ingrid Alice Desiree.

Bilateral trade has grown steadily while the number of Swedish tourists to Vietnam has increased in recent years, according to the Ambassador.

She added that the embassy has always maintained close relations with the overseas Vietnamese community in Sweden, with over 18,000 living, studying and working across the Swedish regions.

There are dozens of large Vietnamese enterprises and hundreds of other stores and business establishments in Sweden, she said.

Representatives of the overseas Vietnamese community shared with the PM about their connection activities and cooperation developments between Vietnamese and Swedish agencies and organisations in the fields of education, scientific research, culture and business.

Vietnamese associations have opened many Vietnamese language classes and held a number of activities to connect overseas Vietnamese, they said, adding that they hope the Party and State will make it easier for overseas Vietnamese to regain Vietnamese citizenship, and to apply for land and housing ownership in Vietnam.