Prime Minister thanks Switzerland for timely help amid COVID-19
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received visiting Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Hanoi on August 5, during which he thanked the Swiss Government for the timely and valuable help when Vietnam is coping with a resurgence of COVID-19.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received visiting Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Hanoi on August 5, during which he thanked the Swiss Government for the timely and valuable help when Vietnam is coping with a resurgence of COVID-19.
The Swiss Government has decided to provide Vietnam with an emergency aid package of 500,000 COVID-19 testing kits, 300,000 face masks, 30 ventilators, and other medical supplies.
PM Chinh also asked Switzerland to help Vietnam access COVID-19 vaccine supply sources as soon as possible. He also recommended the sides boosting cooperation in technological transfer and production of pharmaceuticals, including COVID-19 vaccines and treatment drugs.
The leaders reviewed outcomes of cooperation between the two nations over the past five decades and discussed orientations to lift the relations to new heights in the future. They also talked about the preparation for Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc's visit to Switzerland.
Both host and guest agreed to speeding up negotiations for the signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member.
The Vietnamese PM proposed Switzerland further create favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods and farm produce to enter the Swiss and EU markets; boost cooperation with Vietnam in sectors of Swiss strength; and early research and build bilateral cooperation projects on digital transformation.
Chinh also took the occasion to express his gratitude for Switzerland's development aid worth 650 million USD granted for Vietnam in the past more than 30 years.
For his part, the Swiss Vice President stressed the Swiss Government and people highly evaluate Vietnam's effective use of the aid, adding that Switzerland will offer Vietnam more official development assistance (ODA) during 2021 - 2024.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Hanoi on August 5 (Photo: VNA)
The two sides agreed to continue working closely at multilateral regional and international forums, with Ignazio Cassis praising the role and contribution of ASEAN and Vietnam in seeking solutions for the Myanmar issue.
The Vietnamese and Swiss officials highlighted the importance of ensuring free navigation and navigation, security, peace and stability in the East Sea as well as of addressing disputes in the waters via peaceful measures in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.
On the occasion of the National Day of Switzerland (August 1), the upcoming visit to Vietnam by the European country’s Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, and the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Ivo Sieber wrote an article describing 2021 as a “very special” year for the Swiss-Vietnamese partnership. Following is the full text:
Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan hosted a reception on August 5 for Vice President and Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis, who is on an official visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Switzerland diplomatic ties.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son proposed Switzerland continue to assist Vietnam in getting access to COVID-19 vaccine supplies, treatment medicines and necessary medical equipment during his talks with Swiss Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis in Hanoi on August 5.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also a Politburo member and Secretary of the Government Party Committee, attended the 4th Party Congress of the EVN Party Organisation for the 2025–2030 tenure on August 10, directing EVN to ensure power supply to meet the country’s development demands with double-digit growth set for the coming years.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (Photo: VNA) 
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Hanoi on August 5 (Photo: VNA) 
