Sweden is keen on assisting Vietnam reform its banking and financial system, ensuring stability and contributing significantly to the country’s medium-and long-term development targets.

Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Per Westerberg made the remarks at an April 11 meeting in Stockholm with a Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh.

At the meeting, Ninh informed the Swedish NA leader on Vietnam’s recent socio-economic development accomplishments, positive GDP growth as well as measures to control inflation and restructure operations of the financial and banking system.

Vietnam attaches great importance to strengthening and developing relations with the country's traditional friends in northern Europe, including Sweden, Ninh said while extending his thanks to the Swedish people for its support.

Vietnam will forever be indebted to the Swedish people for their support during the years of the anti-America resistance war and its continued support since.

He specifically thanked the Swedish people for its provision of official development aid (ODA) worth more than US$3 billion over the past years and expressed his hope for continued support in the future.

Regarding trade cooperation and the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Vietnam and other countries, Ninh thanked the Swedish Parliament for ratifying the Vietnam-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), and expressed his hope that the Swedish Parliament will ratify and fully support the FTA negotiations between the EU and Vietnam.

The Deputy PM used the occasion to extend an invitation to a high-level delegation from Sweden to visit Vietnam to attend the 132nd General Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union 132 (IPU-132) slated for May 2015.

He also wished Sweden the best of success in the upcoming elections to be held in September 2014.

For his part, Per Westerberg briefed the Vietnamese guests about the development of the Swedish economy with its higher than average GDP growth of 2-3% compared to the EU 1.5% growth rate.

He said that his nation wishes to ensure human rights and promote economic cooperation, trade liberalization and democracy with poor and developing countries in the world, especially Vietnam.

Sweden supports international commercialization which needs to strictly comply with international standards and meet proposed criteria, noting that it desires to step up trade and economic cooperation with Vietnam for the benefit of both peoples, he added.

Sweden is also interested in Vietnam’s economic reform, including issues of transparency and anti-corruption and will send a senior parliamentary delegation to discuss these issues and attend the Vietnam IPU-132, he concluded.

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh also worked with the Minister for Trade and Nordic Cooperation of Sweden Ewa Bjorling as part of his visit from April 9-12.

Ninh expressed his appreciation for the Swedish government’s and the Minister’s support for a number of activities marking the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Sweden diplomatic relations (1969-2014).

The Deputy PM reiterated Vietnam’s external policy of strengthening and developing relations with traditional countries in northern Europe, including Sweden.

Ninh and his host expressed their delight at the positive development of economic cooperation which has become a major pillar in the Vietnam-Sweden relationship.

As a strong supporter of trade liberalization, Sweden affirmed its support for the EU early recognition of Vietnam’s market economy status and will speed up the FTA negotiations to ensure it will be completed in 2014, said Minister Bjorling.

Ninh welcomed the Swedish Government for adopting a policy to encourage Swedish companies to invest in the Vietnamese market and said the Vietnamese Government will create every condition for Swedish enterprises to do long-term business in the country especially in areas where Sweden is strong and Vietnam needs for stronger development.

During a meeting with the Vietnamese delegation, Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Frank

Belfrage expressed his pleasure to see the Deputy Prime Minister and congratulated Vietnam on its rising regional and international status.

Belfrage voiced the Swedish government’s interest in strengthening good relations with Vietnam.

The two sides agreed to boost coordination on regional and international forums especially at the United Nations and ASEAN.

Ninh affirmed Vietnam’s willingness to serve as a bridge for Sweden to develop a relationship with ASEAN members.

Sweden confirmed the resolution of disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means and on the basis of international law.

The Deputy PM also received Swedish Volvo Bus Group representatives which is keen on the Vietnamese market.

On April 12, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh and his delegation will leave Stockholm for London for their official visit to the UK at the invitation of Government of the UK and Northern Ireland.

VOV/VNN