On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Ivo Sieber shared: "Commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations is an important moment for any two countries. Vietnam and Switzerland’s accomplishments achieved over the past half century underscore the strength of this partnership as well as the trust and commitment for the future.".
Vietnam and Switzerland established diplomatic relations half a century ago, in 1971, officially opening the first chapter in the history of building the "bridge" of bilateral cooperation. However, the early Swiss-Vietnamese relations date back to the second half of the nineteenth century when Vietnam became the destination of many Swiss merchants.
Despite the distant geographical distance, the cooperation relationship between Vietnam and Switzerland is increasingly developing, reaping positive results in all areas, from politics-diplomacy, economy-trade to culture, education, science, and technology.
As of May 2021, with 177 direct investment projects in Vietnam and total registered capital of about 1.9 billion USD, Switzerland currently ranks 20th among 140 countries and territories directly investing in Vietnam. Development cooperation is also a prominent highlight of the two countries' relations.
Development cooperation projects funded by Switzerland for Vietnam have been actively implemented, effectively contributing to economic and social development and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, towards the implementation of the sustainable development goals of Vietnam.
Pursuing a neutral foreign policy, Switzerland, a beautiful and peaceful country in Central Europe, has diplomatic relations with most countries in the world and is home to many international organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the important multilateral organisations that Vietnam is participating in.
As the organisation responsible for global health, over its seven decades of existence and development, the WHO has achieved great achievements in the field of health and healthcare. Establishing a cooperative relationship with Vietnam since 1976, the WHO has made many positive contributions to the development of Vietnam's health sector. In recent time, the WHO has provided medical supplies, giving priority to Vietnam to quickly access vaccine sources, and stands ready to send experts to help Vietnam research and produce vaccines.
These practical actions are a vivid demonstration of WHO's concern, standing shoulder to shoulder with Vietnam in the arduous and challenging fight against the pandemic. On its side, Vietnam also actively participates in international and regional conferences and forums on international cooperation in the health sector such as General Assembly sessions and the WHO's regional conferences. Vietnam's efforts and success in the field of health and people's healthcare have been recognised and appreciated by the international community.
With the WIPO, a specialised organisation of the United Nations with the goal of promoting intellectual property protection activities around the world, Vietnam also built a close and extensive cooperation relationship. The WIPO is Vietnam's first and most important partner in international cooperation on intellectual property. Since Vietnam's accession in 1976, the WIPO has provided significant assistance and contributed significantly to the development of Vietnam's intellectual property system.
Overcoming many challenges in the past half-century of cooperation, Vietnam and Switzerland have together reaped many achievements, building a solid foundation for the bilateral relationship. This provides the basis for the two countries to unite to continue together on the road ahead, towards a bright future.
