President of the National Council of Switzerland Martin Candinas. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) -  President of the National Council ofSwitzerland Martin Candinas and his entourage left Hanoi on June30 evening, concluding their official visit to Vietnam from June 27-30 at theinvitation of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Duringthe visit, Candinas held talks with Chairman Hue, paid a courtesy call toPresident Vo Van Thuong and met Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Duringtalks and meetings, the Vietnamese leaders spoke highly of Candinas’s visit,saying that it is an opportunity to raise mutual understanding, deepencomprehensive relations and discuss measuresto foster friendship and all-around ties between Vietnam andSwitzerland, as well as between their legislative bodies.

Candinassaid Switzerland is one of the first western European countriesto establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, and until now, their bilateral relations have been growing in both bilateral and multilateral aspects.

Hevowed to continue bolstering cooperation between the two countries.

Switzerlandalways considers Vietnam a strategic partner in Southeast Asia, he said, adding that his visit aims toreaffirm and implement the foreign policy.

Leaders of both countries shared the view thatthe two legislatures should play their roles in promoting economic,trade, and investment cooperation, just energy transition, digitaltransformation and climate change response, toward signing the FreeTrade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)soon.

Whilein Vietnam, Candinas also held working sessions with Minister ofIndustry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and several economic establishmentsin Hai Duong and Hai Phong.

Hisvisit was an important parliamentary diplomatic activity that marks the resumption of high-level delegation exchanges between the two countries following the COVID-19 pandemic,contributing to deepening the close and reliable relationship between the tw🎐ocountries in🐼 various fields./.