On the afternoon of October 17, in Ha Noi, following a solemn official welcome ceremony, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam held talks with Swiss President Guy Parmelin.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam warmly welcomed President Parmelin, his spouse and the high-level Swiss delegation on their official visit to Viet Nam, which coincides with the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He expressed his appreciation for Switzerland being among the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with Viet Nam, as well as for the Swiss President’s affection for the country and its people.

Expressing pleasure at meeting President Parmelin again following their telephone conversation in May 2026 and their meeting on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2026, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasized that Viet Nam always attaches importance to its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Switzerland. He noted that the visit was a vivid demonstration of the two countries’ commitment to realizing and further deepening their Comprehensive Partnership, established in January 2025.

Congratulating the Swiss Government and people on their significant achievements in recent years, including Switzerland’s position among the world’s 20 largest economies, its high competitiveness and social stability, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam expressed his confidence that the prosperity of both Switzerland and Viet Nam would serve not only the interests of their respective countries and peoples but also contribute to peace and prosperity in the region and around the world.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam briefed the Swiss President on Viet Nam’s recent socio-economic development, strategic orientations and foreign policy, reaffirming that Viet Nam attaches great importance to its Comprehensive Partnership with Switzerland. He expressed the desire for the two countries to continue working together to advance shared development and contribute to peace, stability and development in the region.

President Guy Parmelin expressed pleasure at meeting Party General Secretary and State President To Lam for the third time in 2026. Recalling his visit to Viet Nam in 2019, he said he was delighted to witness firsthand the country’s dynamic development. He congratulated Viet Nam on its achievements in recent years and thanked the Vietnamese State, Government, and people for their warm and cordial reception of him, his spouse and the Swiss delegation.

President Parmelin welcomed the progress in bilateral cooperation, noting that bilateral trade had grown steadily by 7% over the past four years, while investment had increased by 8% annually. He affirmed that the signing of a free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) would create valuable opportunities for businesses to tap the potential for future cooperation, particularly given that more than 100 Swiss companies are already operating in Viet Nam. He also highlighted the complementarity between Switzerland’s advanced technologies and promising solutions and Viet Nam’s rapid economic growth and young population.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong development of bilateral relations over more than five decades and agreed to continue close coordination to further advance bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Comprehensive Partnership, making effective use of the opportunities offered by the Viet Nam–EFTA Free Trade Agreement.

The Swiss President emphasized that countries with medium-sized economies could work together on joint economic initiatives to promote multilateralism and free trade. He invited Viet Nam to participate in an initiative on future partnerships for investment and trade.

President Parmelin also agreed with the six key areas of cooperation proposed by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam for the coming period.

These include strengthening political trust through exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts, as well as mutual support at multilateral forums; elevating trade and investment cooperation following the signing and implementation of the Viet Nam - EFTA Free Trade Agreement; and encouraging more Swiss businesses to invest in Viet Nam, particularly in seaports.

The two sides will also promote cooperation between their specialized agencies and financial and banking institutions in implementing digital finance, blockchain technology, digital assets and financial technology (fintech).

Science, technology and innovation will be developed into key pillars of bilateral cooperation through existing mechanisms linking the two countries’ national science and technology development funds, alongside stronger academic partnerships between universities and research institutes.

Other priorities include expanding cooperation in the environment, culture and tourism; making defense and security an important component of bilateral ties, particularly in peacekeeping and crime prevention; and continuing to promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

The two sides agreed that countries are facing numerous challenges and risks amid growing confrontations among major powers. They underscored the need to strengthen dialogue in a spirit of neutrality. President Parmelin praised Viet Nam’s balanced foreign policy, which he said had helped the country establish its position in the region and internationally.

On this occasion, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and President Parmelin witnessed the exchange of several cooperation documents between ministries and agencies in the fields of labor, science and technology, trade, and urban development. The two leaders expressed their hope that the agreements would be translated into concrete outcomes, bringing practical benefits to businesses and people in both countries.

President Parmelin invited Viet Nam to attend the Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence, scheduled to take place in Switzerland in 2027, with a view to further promoting cooperation in artificial intelligence.

The two leaders expressed confidence that the official visit to Viet Nam by President Parmelin and his spouse would further strengthen friendship and political trust between the two countries, deepen mutual understanding between their peoples, and provide fresh momentum for the Viet Nam - Switzerland Comprehensive Partnership to develop in an increasingly profound, substantive, effective and sustainable manner.