President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Dr. Philipp Rosler, Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Switzerland, at the meeting in Hanoi on January 22 (Photo: VNA)

The State leader appreciated enormous contributions to the Vietnam - Switzerland ties by Rosler, who is also former Vice Chancellor of Germany and a Vietnamese-origin person returning to attend the Homeland’s Spring programme.

President Phuc also noted that Vietnam wishes to enhance the strategic partnership with Germany, especially in information technology, infrastructure, renewable energy, digital transformation, and green economy. He asked the former Vice Chancellor of Germany to continue supporting bilateral relations, especially as the European country recently had a new government.

He called on Rosler, as the Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Switzerland, to actively popularise Vietnam and its economic potential and persuade Swiss businesses with modern and green technology to invest in the Southeast Asian nation.

At the meeting, the host leader also repeated the appeal to Rosler and Swiss enterprises for supporting and promoting the early signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association, as agreed by the Vietnamese and Swiss Presidents in early December 2021.