Vietnamese leaders can confidently speak at WEF Davos for "worthy" reasons

Sharing with TG&VN about WEF Davos 2024 and Vietnam's participation, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass emphasized the opportunities for Vietnam to demonstrate its international commitment, thereby attracting many attractive investment sources.

Đại sứ Thụy Sỹ: Lãnh đạo Việt Nam có thể tự tin phát biểu tại WEF 54 vì những điều 'xứng đáng'

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass on the occasion of taking office in Vietnam in April 2023. (Source: VNA)

Could you please share the significance and important contents of the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF)?

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an important forum in a rapidly changing world where we need to rebuild trust in each other.

The international community and the world economy have faced many fluctuations in recent years such as: Violence in the Middle East, conflict in Ukraine, some countries' lack of respect for international law and International Humanitarian Law.

Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass. (Photo: QH)

Besides, we are also facing profound structural changes taking place in geo-economics (such as cost of living crisis, food and energy insecurity, instability...), in climate change...

The WEF is a place where leaders of nations and governments, private sector leaders, representatives of education and civil society… come together to reflect and seek solutions, take responsibility for implementing shared visions such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement, and encourage pioneers and leaders to take positive initiatives.

We urgently need to recommit to multilateralism and the international rule of law. This includes establishing and upgrading new platforms for dialogue and building stronger partnerships.

Solving the complex problems we face cannot be left to governments alone, because any effective solutions require large investments, and they can only be implemented with the active participation of the private sector. Therefore, sustainable solutions must take into account the viability and profitability of businesses as well as the functioning of the global economy.

The high-level Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend the 54th WEF. What are your expectations for Vietnam's contribution to the meeting?

It is meaningful that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will actively participate in this event. At a previous WEF event held in China last June, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reminded that, in the face of “headwinds”, the international community needs: “global solidarity and multilateralism as well as a people-centered approach”.

The Vietnamese leader can confidently speak at this event because Vietnam has made significant contributions to solving many global issues and deserves to be recognized by the international community for those efforts.

"WEF Davos 2024 will be an opportunity for Vietnam to seek investment and resources from international companies, business groups and investment funds, including Switzerland."

Indeed, as an active member of ASEAN, Vietnam has played an important role in promoting regional stability and cooperation. Vietnam has also participated in peacekeeping operations around the world, including in South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Vietnam has also taken some important steps to reduce carbon emissions, with a commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Vietnam is also working to increase its resilience to climate change through the development of a National Climate Change Adaptation Plan and measures to protect vulnerable communities.

In addition, Vietnam is making efforts to improve energy security by investing in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.

This year’s forum will provide the Vietnamese delegation with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to concrete solutions and gain the support of the investor community for its efforts.

Vietnam’s role is increasingly important, not only in the region but also beyond. In this context, and with the goal of becoming a high-income, low-carbon country within 20 years, it is even more important for Vietnam to be willing to maintain dialogue and share with the international community its approaches, perspectives and experiences in global integration and socio-economic development.

This event will be an opportunity for Vietnam to seek investment and resources from international companies, business groups and investment funds, including Switzerland.

How does the Ambassador evaluate Vietnam's implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Vietnam and WEF for the 2023-2026 period?

With the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, Vietnam has the prospect of accessing international resources and expertise as well as participating in WEF's global programs.

Investors have pointed out that the economy needs a strong will and determination to maintain its commitment to sustainable development, continue to cut red tape, promote faster and more transparent administrative procedures, improve substantive education and human resource development, promote the digital economy, and other measures.

I see clearly that the Vietnamese authorities are making efforts to address these challenges, as evidenced by the increasing FDI inflows, but it is important to note that competition in attracting foreign investment globally is fierce and Vietnam needs to work hard to improve conditions to maintain its advantage over its competitors.

The Vietnamese government is addressing the issue by integrating the development goals of Eco-Industrial Parks. In addition, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee is also working with the WEF to establish the Ho Chi Minh City Industrial Revolution 4.0 Center – to address key issues such as circular economy and digitalization.

Regarding the Vietnam-Switzerland relationship, could you please share the achievements in the relationship between the two countries in recent times and the importance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's participation in the WEF for the bilateral relationship?

Switzerland and Vietnam have a traditional, warm and increasingly deep relationship. Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to officially recognize the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1971. Relations between the two countries have developed very dynamically, with the focus gradually shifting from economic development cooperation to trade, especially between the now strongly developing private economic sector.

Switzerland welcomes the positive developments in the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Vietnam. Once in force, the agreement will create a favourable framework, paving the way for increased Swiss direct investment in Vietnam as well as boosting bilateral trade.

Vietnam's foreign policy and economic environment are very dynamic. Many countries are looking forward to upgrading their partnership with Vietnam and I especially hope that the relationship between Vietnam and Switzerland will be upgraded in the near future. I am currently devoting all my energy and efforts to this issue.

"Many countries are looking forward to upgrading their partnership with Vietnam and I especially hope that the relationship between Vietnam and Switzerland will be upgraded in the near future."

Several high-ranking delegations from Switzerland have visited Vietnam in recent years. Most recently, in June 2023, President of the Swiss Federal Parliament Martin Candinas paid an official visit to Vietnam, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue accepted an invitation to visit Switzerland in 2024.

Switzerland's main exports to Vietnam include pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machinery and precision engineering, while Vietnam's main exports to Switzerland are electronic products such as mobile phones, footwear, textiles and seafood.

Since 2008, economic development cooperation between Switzerland and Vietnam has focused on areas such as improving public finances, strengthening the financial sector, enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, urban planning and climate change adaptation, as well as projects promoting sustainable growth.

In the field of academic cooperation, the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) and the Swiss National Science Foundation have a close cooperative relationship through supporting joint research projects between Switzerland and Vietnam.

The annual WEF is an opportunity for high-level meetings between the two countries' governments and the interest of both sides is demonstrated through regular meetings between the two countries' leaders on the sidelines of the Forum over the years.

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