Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlén (L) welcomes State Vice President of Vietnam Vo Thi Anh Xuan. (Photo: VNA)

Norlén expressed his belief that Xuan’s official visit will contribute to deepening the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Praising the Vietnamese National Assembly’s establishment of the Vietnam-Sweden Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, Norlén said he backs the promotion of activities to share experience in lawmaking and supervision between the two legislative bodies.

Vietnamese Vice President Xuan showed her gratitude for the valuable support from the Swedish Royal Family, government, parliament, and people towards Vietnam over the past five decades, affirming that Vietnam always values the development of multifaceted relations with Sweden, in line with the potential, strengths, and needs of each country.

The Vice President proposed both sides coordinate to review the signed bilateral agreements to update and adjust them in line with the new context. She also suggested Sweden encourage other European Union (EU) member states to promptly ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and urge the EU to lift its “yellow card” warning against Vietnam's seafood exports.

Xuan suggested Sweden consider facilitating visa issuance for Vietnamese tourists, especially as Vietnam has unilaterally waived visa requirements for Swedish citizens,  and urged the Swedish Riksdag to encourage Swedish businesses to invest in Vietnam, particularly in sectors where Sweden has strengths and which align with Vietnam's development goals, such as innovation, green transition, digital transformation, and climate change adaptation.

Both sides emphasized the importance of parliamentary cooperation within the overall context of the bilateral relations and agreed to increase the exchange of parliamentary leadership delegations and specialized committees between the two legislatures.

They agreed to enhance coordination and support for each other at multilateral forums to promote the peaceful settlement of conflicts and disputes based on respect for the United Nations Charter and international law. They also reached consensus on the promotion of free trade, sustainable development, and global prosperity.

During her visit, the Vice President had a meeting with Swedish experts and friends who have made positive contributions to the bilateral relations.

She also met with the Vietnamese embassy’s staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Sweden. Currently, there are more than 22,000 Vietnamese people living in Sweden.