Senior officials from both countries met on May 18-19 to expand cooperation in areas closely linked to economic development, including clean energy, digital transformation, innovation, and education, Vietnam.vn reports.
At the centre of the discussions was the Strategic Partnership Framework on Science, Technology and Innovation, signed in 2025 during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to Sweden. Both sides described it as the key platform for translating political commitments into practical cooperation.
Vietnam used the meeting to call for faster progress on several priorities with the European Union. These included early ratification of the EVIPA investment protection agreement and removal of the EU’s IUU “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood exports, both considered important for trade access and investor confidence.
State Secretary of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dag Hartelius said Sweden sees growing opportunities in Vietnam’s green transition and noted that Swedish companies are increasingly viewing the country as a key growth market in Asia, particularly in infrastructure, energy, and high-tech sectors.
Education and research were also central to the discussions. Sweden expressed readiness to expand scholarships, academic exchange, and research cooperation, while Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang called for more flagship projects with both symbolic and practical impact.
The talks also referred to earlier landmark cooperation projects such as the Bai Bang Paper Mill and the National Children’s Hospital, which remain reference points in bilateral relations.
Both sides reaffirmed support for free trade, multilateral cooperation, and international law, including maritime rules under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The meeting concluded with agreement to move beyond framework-level cooperation and focus on delivering concrete projects in energy, technology, and sustainable development.
