Switzerland and Việtnam Deepen Partnership for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth at Swiss–Viet Economic Forum in Đà Nẵng
Đà Nẵng, The Gulf Observer: Switzerland reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with Việt Nam, emphasizing trust, mutual benefit, and a shared vision for inclusive, sustainable, and resilient growth at the Swiss–Viet Economic Forum (SVEF) held in Đà Nẵng.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Swiss Ambassador to Việt Nam Thomas Gass praised the growing bilateral relationship, noting that despite differences in size and geography, both nations share common values and a belief in open, rules-based development.
“We have a human-based trade, a commitment to sustainability, and a deep respect for innovation and education,” Ambassador Gass said, highlighting Đà Nẵng’s ambition to become a regional fintech hub as a reflection of the city’s progressive spirit. He also expressed sympathy for communities in central Việt Nam recently affected by flooding.
The forum focused on key areas such as regional trade integration, sustainable finance, green innovation, entrepreneurship, and the application of emerging technologies, featuring in-depth discussions on health innovation and sustainable tourism.
Deputy Chairman of Đà Nẵng’s People’s Committee Hồ Quang Bửu called for Swiss investment in FinTech, high-tech industries, semiconductors, AI services, and sustainable tourism, assuring that the city would provide favorable conditions for Swiss investors in finance, circular economy, innovation, start-ups, and human resources training. He also revealed that Việt Nam and Switzerland plan to elevate their relations to a Comprehensive Partnership this year.
Bửu noted that Đà Nẵng has attracted 1,282 FDI projects worth US$10 billion, but Swiss investment remains modest at $1.13 million across three projects. He added that 40 organizations have registered to participate in the development of the city’s International Finance Centre (Đà Nẵng IFC).
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng reiterated that both countries agreed to promote green transition, inclusive growth, and sustainable development, recalling commitments made at the World Economic Forum in Zurich last year. She noted that Switzerland has invested $2.4 billion in Việt Nam and provided $800 million in non-refundable assistance over the past three decades.
Delivering her remarks online, Helene Budliger, State Secretary of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs and Research, commended Việt Nam’s remarkable economic transformation, calling the country a “key player in regional and global value chains.”
“Switzerland deeply values its long-standing partnership with Việt Nam and supports the country’s ambitions to become a high-income economy by 2045 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” she said, highlighting ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement between Việt Nam, Switzerland, and other EFTA members that have produced “fruitful results.”
Dr. Philipp Rösler, President of the Swiss–Viet Economic Forum, shared that the forum was born from collaboration with the overseas Vietnamese community in Switzerland. He emphasized that SVEF 2025 aims to turn strategy into action by aligning policy, capital, and know-how to accelerate innovation and inclusive growth, with Đà Nẵng serving as an ideal platform for such collaboration.
Other speakers included Bruno Jaspaert, President of EuroCham, who noted that global trade integration has transformed bilateral deals into multilateral value chains, stressing the importance of a Việt Nam–Switzerland free trade agreement. He praised Việt Nam as a regional leader in free trade, with 17 agreements and 14 strategic partnerships in place.
From the private sector, Nguyễn Thị Vĩnh Phú of ABB Automation and Electrification Việt Nam called for greater transparency and efficiency in tax and investment procedures, while Phạm Quốc Thanh, Vice Chairman of HD Bank, emphasized that banking and finance are essential to integrating Vietnamese SMEs into global supply chains.
Đà Nẵng’s Industry and Trade Department Deputy Director Đỗ Thị Quỳnh Trâm proposed establishing a “Swiss Desk” in the city to enhance cross-border business cooperation and create a B2B forum for Swiss–Vietnamese enterprises.
This year’s SVEF marked the first in-country edition of the forum after three successful events in Zurich. The forum, a government-level initiative, aims to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, and education.
Switzerland, in collaboration with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, is implementing four projects in Đà Nẵng focused on low-carbon development, smart city transformation, and innovation. The city also signed a trilateral MoU with Consessor AG (Switzerland) and VinaCapital Group during the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos for the development of the Đà Nẵng International Financial Centre.
Further cooperation is underway between the Ministry of Finance of Việt Nam and the Swiss FinTech Association on the financial center’s framework. Local developer Sun Group has also partnered with EHL Hospitality Business School of Switzerland to establish an international tourism academy in Việt Nam.
The Swiss–Viet Economic Forum 2025 stands as a testament to the two nations’ enduring friendship and shared ambition to foster sustainable, innovation-driven economic growth for a prosperous future.
