Business Sweden Country Director in Vietnam Marcus Persson
Speaking to the Government Electronic Newspaper, Mr. Marcus Persson said that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit is a valuable opportunity to strengthen the long-standing friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Sweden, especially in the fields of economy and trade.
Sweden and Vietnam have a strong and long-standing bilateral relationship, and Sweden was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1969.
The visit also marked an important milestone in the relationship between the two countries' senior leaders, thereby opening up more regular exchanges between ministries, sectors, localities, businesses and people of the two sides.
"I expect the two sides to promote deeper cooperation in key areas such as green energy, digital transformation, healthcare and sustainable solutions in transport - areas where Sweden has strengths and Vietnam has increasing demand," said a representative of Business Sweden.
In recent years, despite global fluctuations, Swedish companies have shown strong interest in the Vietnamese market, with Trelleborg Sealing Solutions opening a new 8,000 m2 facility in Dong Nai, Hestra Gloves investing $9 million in a production facility in Hai Phong, and Autoliv building a modern airbag factory in Quang Ninh.
Major Swedish corporations such as Assa Abloy, ABB and Polarium are also maintaining a presence in Vietnam, demonstrating their long-term commitment and belief in the country’s economic potential. In turn, Vietnamese businesses are also expanding their footprint in Sweden, with FPT recently opening offices in Gothenburg and Stockholm.
Promising future for Vietnamese goods
Referring to the trade advantages of Vietnamese goods, Mr. Marcus Persson said that Vietnam has significant potential to expand its presence in the Swedish market.
The Vietnam-European Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has significantly reduced tariffs and trade barriers, creating favorable and competitive conditions for Vietnamese export enterprises to access the Swedish market as well as the entire EU bloc.
In addition, Vietnam's growing reputation for producing high-quality products, especially in areas such as textiles, seafood, electronics and agricultural products, also fits with Swedish consumer trends, which favor products with clear origins, reliability and environmental friendliness.
Sweden also applies strict regulations on product safety, environmental standards and working conditions, such as the carbon border adjustment mechanism, which will have a direct impact on six high-carbon industries such as iron and steel, cement, fertilizer, aluminum, electricity and hydrogen, as well as industries that consume a lot of raw materials and energy. This poses many challenges for some Vietnamese manufacturers.
However, with many advantages, Vietnam is aiming to switch to environmentally friendly products, increase research and development of new technologies, which promises to help Vietnamese goods penetrate deeply into the Swedish market, as well as open up opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to differentiate themselves through green production processes.
In addition, Vietnam's high-quality products such as coffee, textiles, footwear, and wood products continue to have strong growth potential.
Promote long-term, structured cooperation mechanisms
In order to further strengthen bilateral economic, trade and investment relations, Mr. Marcus Persson said that Vietnam and Sweden should prioritize developing long-term, structured cooperation mechanisms.
First of all, the two countries can establish a bilateral economic and trade dialogue platform at the senior official level, to regularly review cooperation progress, remove difficulties and identify new areas of cooperation, especially in the fields of green technology, digital transformation and smart infrastructure, which are areas in which Sweden has strengths and Vietnam has high demand.
In addition, expanding capacity building programs such as leadership training and technical assistance will help narrow the gap in standards and practices between the two sides.
In addition, both sides need to make more effective use of the EVFTA through focused outreach activities and support for small and medium-sized enterprises on both sides by enhancing business connection platforms, exhibitions and digital trade.
If implemented consistently, these mechanisms will contribute to creating a dynamic and highly adaptable economic partnership between the two countries, said the Business Sweden Country Director.
Enhancing Sweden's commercial presence in Vietnam
According to Mr. Marcus Persson, Business Sweden plays a key role in promoting economic relations between Sweden and Vietnam by actively supporting Swedish businesses to invest and expand operations in the Vietnamese market.
Business Sweden provides strategic consulting services, market information and organizes business missions to help Swedish companies understand and adapt to Vietnam's dynamic business environment.
In recent years, Business Sweden has stepped up its efforts to promote areas that align with Vietnam’s development priorities, including green energy, digital transformation in the healthcare system and smart solutions for infrastructure projects.
“We have organized high-level business delegations and trade missions, enabling Swedish companies to access investment opportunities and work directly with strategic partners in Vietnam. In addition, we have also organized many seminars and workshops to connect stakeholders from both countries, promote policy dialogue, knowledge sharing and cross-sectoral cooperation,” said the Country Director of Business Sweden.
Business Sweden also extends leadership development, through the Swedish Institute Management Programme, supporting Vietnamese state-owned enterprise leaders. This annual initiative provides practical tools and insights to bridge the gap between sustainability ambitions and concrete action strategies.
These initiatives not only contribute to enhancing Sweden's commercial presence in Vietnam but also make an important contribution to the larger goal of enhancing bilateral economic cooperation and sustainable development./.
Thuy Dung
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/thuong-mai-dau-tu-viet-nam-thuy-dien-dung-truoc-co-hoi-phat-trien-vuot-bac-102250605085655963.htm
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