The Swiss Embassy in Viet Nam hosted a ceremony in Ha Noi on May 29 to celebrate 35 years of development cooperation marked by tangible results, and to launch the new cooperation programme for the 2025–2028 period.
The event was officially inaugurated by Swiss Ambassador to Viet Nam Thomas Gass and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Finance Cao Anh Tuan, with the attendance of numerous representatives from government agencies, development partners, implementing units, and relevant beneficiaries.
Viet Nam–Switzerland: Cooperation for a green future
Unveiling the 2025–2028 Cooperation Programme, Swiss Ambassador Thomas Gass stated: “The cooperation programme is built on Swiss expertise and experience, representing Switzerland’s strong commitment to standing with Viet Nam. Its priorities are fully aligned with Viet Nam’s development direction and will contribute significantly to the country’s plans for a new era of growth.”
 |
| Sibylle Bachmann, Head of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy, shares details on the programme. (Photo: HAI YEN) |
Managed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) with a 50 million USD budget, the 2025–2028 programme will focus on three pillars including promoting sustainable and innovative trade, enhancing sustainable public and private finance, and fostering climate-resilient smart industry and urban development.
Sibylle Bachmann stressed that Switzerland is committed to improving the global competitiveness of Vietnamese businesses, advancing green capital markets, and increasing climate resilience in urban areas, particularly in the Mekong Delta.
Ambassador Thomas Gass highlighted that Switzerland’s strength lies not only in its economy but also in its human-centred approach. From public governance capabilities to fostering private sector entrepreneurship, Swiss expertise has played a key role in knowledge transfer and skills development for Vietnamese partners.
Over the past 35 years, the Viet Nam–Switzerland partnership has been continuously strengthened and expanded, laying a solid foundation for the next phase of development cooperation.
From poverty reduction to sustainable growth: three decades of Viet Nam–Switzerland cooperation
Since 1991, Switzerland has provided over 650 million CHF (around 800 million USD) in official development assistance to Viet Nam. Initially focused on poverty alleviation, this support has gradually shifted towards green growth promotion, institutional reform, and sustainable economic development.
Projects have been tailored to local needs, ensuring gender equity and a “leave no one behind” approach. According to Ambassador Gass, this strategy is helping transform Viet Nam into one of the world’s most dynamic economies.
The bilateral cooperation yielded impressive results during the 2021–2024 period: more than 10,000 businesses applied innovation initiatives for sustainable export production; 500,000 small and medium-sized enterprises gained access to an additional 33 billion USD in credit through value chain-linked mechanisms; and new eco-industrial zones saved 850,000 cubic metres of water and cut 39,560 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Additionally, a planning project in Can Tho helped protect 443,000 residents and many businesses from tidal flooding, driving local economic growth.
At the event, Deputy Minister of Finance Cao Anh Tuan called on SECO to “continue collaborating on public finance reform projects, enhance public debt management, promote green transition and digitalisation, while also granting Viet Nam greater ownership in programme management and coordination.”
 |
| Deputy Minister Cao Anh Tuan speaks at the event. (Photo: HAI YEN) |
Deputy Minister Cao Anh Tuan noted that the upgrade of Viet Nam–Switzerland relations to a comprehensive partnership in January 2025 demonstrates mutual strategic trust and raises the bar for implementing agencies. The Ministry of Finance is committed to working closely with all stakeholders to effectively implement SECO-funded initiatives during the 2025–2028 period for optimal and practical outcomes.
Experts at the event also stressed that Swiss support has helped elevate Viet Nam into the world’s top 20 economies in terms of trade and foreign investment attraction.
With a robust foundation of 35 years of extensive cooperation and tangible results, the 2025–2028 Cooperation Programme is poised to be a vital springboard for elevating Viet Nam–Switzerland relations to new heights, while supporting the country on its journey toward a green, inclusive, and sustainable economy.
