Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh this morning [January 16] left Hanoi for a week-long trip starting the year 2024, heading towards three European countries namely Switzerland, Hungary, and Romania.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran leave Hanoi on January 16. Photos: Nhat Bac/VGP

The trip, which will last until January 23, will be significant for bilateral and multilateral relations as the Vietnamese Prime Minister and the high-ranking delegation will attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2024 in Davos, Switzerland.

They will then visit Hungary in the invitation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the country will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) in July-December 2024, and Romania following the invitation of Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu.

High-ranking officials accompanying Prime Minister Chinh include Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son; Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung; Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien; Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son; Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat; Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong; Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai, among others.

Ambassador of Hungary to Vietnam Tibor Baloghdi (1st left), Ambassador of Switzerland to Vietnam Thomas Gass, and Romanian Ambassador to Vietnam Cristina Romila see off Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi.

Switzerland

Themed “Rebuilding Trust”, the WEF’s 54th Annual Meeting featured a National Strategic Dialogue with WEF in which Chinh is among eight heads of state and government holding private dialogues with WEF. It demonstrates attention and appreciation of Vietnam’s economic achievements, impressive growth, and development visions by the leading international non-governmental organizations and multinational groups.

Annual Meeting 2024 will bring together more than 2,800 leaders from 120 countries across geographies and industries to advance dialogue, strengthen cooperation and deepen partnerships on critical global challenges. Of more than 300 public figures are about 60 heads of state and government to participate in the event.

Given its size, the conference presents a significant chance to seize emerging trends and opportunities, exchange viewpoints and ideas about global concerns, and reaffirm Vietnam’s active involvement and responsibility.

The event helps disseminate Vietnam’s accomplishments and development strategy to attract maximum resources to aid the nation’s development while fostering practical cooperation with Switzerland.

At the WEF 2024 Conference, Vietnamese leaders can speak with total confidence because their country has significantly contributed to the solution of numerous global issues and should be acknowledged internationally for those efforts, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass said ahead of the trip.

He argued that Vietnam is a responsible member of the international community in promoting regional cooperation and stability. It has deployed peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Republic of Central Africa. Vietnam is also speeding up its energy transition with national strategies towards climate change and a series of mitigation and adaptation programs to protect vulnerable groups. At the same time, it is investing in renewable energy with solar and wind farms across the country.

Vietnam will have a great chance to show the investor community that it is committed to real solutions to gain their support at this year’s forum, he stressed.

Hungary and Romania

After the WEF, Prime Minister Chinh will take official visits to Hungary and Romania, making the first visit paid by a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Hungary in seven years and to Romania in five years.

The visits are aimed at revitalizing the traditional relations between Vietnam and Hungary and Romania – the two Central European countries which the Southeast Asian nation has had relations with since 1950. They will help renew traditional cooperation fields and seek partnerships in potential sectors to enhance the relationships.

Prime Minister Chinh’s visits to the two countries will also strengthen relations between Vietnam and Eastern-Central Europe and between the two countries and ASEAN, working closely together to address regional and global issues.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam received significant support from Hungary during the fight for its national independence and development. In the movement called “Vietnam, we are always beside you”, Hungary supported Vietnam with blood and supplies. Hungary participated in the International Committee to oversee and monitor the implementation of the Paris Agreement in Vietnam as well. The country has trained nearly 4,000 Vietnamese science and technology cadres and paid off all debts that Vietnam owed before 1973. Vietnam and is a focal point of the Southern Opening policy of the Hungarian Government.

Meanwhile, Romania provided Vietnam with financial assistance in aid packages, non-refundable, medium- and long- term loans, and debt cancellation. The country also trained approximately 3,000 Vietnamese officials. The two countries supported each other in international agendas and multilateral organizations like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Commission, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the UN Security Council Nonpermanent Membership, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCIRAL), and the UN Commission on Human Rights.