Vietnam, Switzerland push to advance Vietnam – EFTA FTA talks

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung on March 17 received Helene Budliger Artieda, Director of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, who is on a working visit to Vietnam from March 15 to 17.

At the meeting, Trung spoke highly of the outcomes of the Swiss official’s visit, noting the positive development of bilateral relations in recent years. He highlighted the upgrade of ties to a Comprehensive Partnership in January 2025 and the steady growth in two-way trade.

The minister said Vietnam is implementing a new development roadmap that prioritises science and technology advancement and innovation in a bid to build modern industrial and service sectors.

He affirmed that Vietnam stands ready to cooperate with Switzerland in this process. On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1971–2026), he suggested both sides intensify efforts to create breakthroughs in science and technology cooperation alongside traditional areas of collaboration.

For her part, Artieda briefed her host on the latest round of negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), noting that the two sides have largely addressed outstanding differences and could soon conclude talks.

She emphasised that the signing of the agreement would usher in a new phase of cooperation between Vietnam and EFTA member states, opening up further opportunities for Swiss investors to expand operations in Vietnam.

She also noted that her delegation included representatives of high-tech enterprises, which have shown strong interest in the prospect of the FTA and Vietnam’s market potential.

Both sides agreed to accelerate negotiations and work towards the early implementation of the Vietnam–EFTA FTA, with a view to making Switzerland one of the top ten foreign investors in Vietnam./.