Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha (fourth right) and Swedish Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson (fifth left) at the reception. (Photo: VOV)

The deputy PM highlighted the development of bilateral ties over the past half century, saying that the cooperative relationship between the two countries has shifted to an equal, mutually beneficial partnership, with Sweden among Vietnam's 10 major trading partners in the European Union.

The bilateral trade turnover in the first quarter this year surpassed 360 million USD, up 9.4% over the same period last year. In terms of investment, Sweden ranks 29th out of 140 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with 109 valid projects with a total registered capital of 733 million USD.

The Deputy PM suggested Sweden further improve its position in terms of investment and trade in Vietnam through transportation, seaport, digital transformation, telecommunications, aviation, and energy transition projects.

He said that ample room remains for the cooperation between the two countries, and Swedish businesses can find suitable Vietnamese partners in the fields of telecommunications, information technology, smart infrastructure, green energy conversion and human resource training for the semiconductor chip industry.

He proposed that the two governments have a specific cooperation plan and assign responsibilities to each ministry, agency and locality for practical and effective implementation.

Carlson said that Swedish firms are interested in exploring investment and business opportunities in the field of smart transportation and smart city in Vietnam, adding that more and more Swedish people are travelling to the Southeast Asian country.

The Swedish official hopes that the traditional friendship between the two countries will continue to be strengthened through cooperation projects between the two governments and businesses as well as people-to-people cultural exchange activities.