General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and his spouse hosted a banquet in Hanoi on October 17 evening in honour of Swiss President Guy Parmelin and his spouse, who are paying an official visit to Vietnam.
In his remarks, General Secretary and President Lam stressed that the visit holds special significance as the two countries are celebrating the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It provides an opportunity to review bilateral cooperation over the past decades and explore new prospects for friendship and collaboration between the two countries.
He said that Switzerland is associated in the minds of Vietnamese people with a peaceful and tranquil country, a developed nation with world-leading science, technology and innovation capabilities, and a people known for their love of peace, compassion and mutual support.
In particular, Geneva holds a special place in the Vietnamese nation's memory. The 1954 Geneva Accords recognised Vietnam’s fundamental national rights of independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Together with the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the accords marked the success of Vietnam’s resistance war against French colonialism and opened a new chapter in the country’s struggle for national liberation. For the Vietnamese people, Geneva remains a reminder of their deep aspiration to live in peace and determine their own future, he said.
The General Secretary and President noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, Vietnam and Switzerland have consistently nurtured their friendship, strengthened political trust and expanded cooperation across various fields for the benefit of their people.
Achievements in trade, investment, development cooperation and people-to-people exchanges over more than half a century have helped deepen the bilateral ties. The establishment of a Comprehensive Partnership in January 2025 marked a new stage in the relationship and reflected both countries’ determination to elevate cooperation to a new level, he said.
The top leader expressed Vietnam’s desire to work with Switzerland to make new strides in science and technology, innovation and high-quality human resources development; open a brighter new chapter in collaboration for the development of both countries; and make more active contributions to maintaining peace and stability and addressing common challenges.
He affirmed that the continued positive development of Vietnam-Switzerland relations will contribute to peace and prosperity in the world.
In his response, President Parmelin spoke highly of the fruitful talks between the two sides, noting that since 1971, Vietnam and Switzerland have built a strong friendship founded on mutual respect, trust and deep bonds between their people.
Strengthening bilateral economic ties through the signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) will open up new prospects for businesses in both countries and bring the two economies closer together, he stated, stressing that good relations do not emerge on their own but are built through the contributions of governments, businesses, organisations and, above all, the people of both countries.
Also on the evening of October 17, General Secretary and President Lam and his spouse, together with President Parmelin and his spouse, toured the pedestrian area around Hoan Kiem Lake and met with local residents.
