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									Viet Nam, Switzerland affirm co-operative 
									efforts 
									
									
									(05-08-2008)
									
									http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01POL050808  
									
										
											
												
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												Party General Secretary Nong Duc 
												Manh yesterday welcomed Swiss 
												President Pascal Couchepin on 
												his official visit to the 
												country. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan 
												Sang | 
											 
											
												
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												President Nguyen Minh Triet 
												yesterday received Switzerland 
												President Pascal Couchepin at 
												the Presidential Palace. — VNA/VNS 
												Photo Nguyen Khang | 
											 
										 
									 
									
									HA NOI 
									— Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh said 
									yesterday that Swiss President Pascal 
									Couchepin and his wife’s official visit to 
									Viet Nam has opened a new stage in 
									friendship and co-operation between the two 
									countries. 
									
									He 
									made the statement while meeting with the 
									Swiss President yesterday afternoon, who is 
									on an official visit to Viet Nam from August 
									3-6. 
									
									Manh 
									thanked the Swiss Government and people for 
									their help in the previous struggles for 
									national independence and national unity, 
									and the country’s current development drive. 
									
									The 
									Party leader said that Viet Nam had always 
									attached much importance to relations with 
									Switzerland and would do its best to further 
									develop multi-faceted co-operation, for the 
									benefit of the two peoples and for peace, 
									co-operation and development in the region 
									and the world. 
									
									
									President Nguyen Minh Triet had already met 
									with Couchepin yesterday morning. 
									
									
									President Triet noted that the official 
									visit to Viet Nam by the Swiss President and 
									his wife was an important event. 
									
									Triet 
									said that he appreciated Switzerland’s 
									assistance to Viet Nam in environmental and 
									human ecology protection, hunger eradication 
									and poverty alleviation. 
									
									The 
									two leaders agreed to further boost 
									bilateral co-operation, especially in 
									economy, trade, investment, and education 
									and training. They said they appreciated 
									agreements to be signed between universities 
									of the two countries. 
									
									
									Couchepin affirmed that he would continue to 
									support Viet Nam in international economic 
									integration, and he said Switzerland would 
									provide funding to help Viet Nam deal with 
									joining the World Trade Organisation. 
									
									He 
									said that he highly valued bilateral 
									co-operation between the two countries, as 
									well as co-operation in international 
									forums. 
									
									
									Couchepin said he wanted to boost 
									co-operation with Viet Nam, especially in 
									education and training, science and 
									technology. He said Switzerland was ready to 
									share with Viet Nam its experiences in 
									lifting the value and productivity of 
									commodities. 
									
									
									Joint communique 
									
									The 
									two presidents issued a joint communique to 
									affirm co-operation relations between the 
									two nations. 
									
									It 
									stressed that the visit was being held at an 
									important moment, when Viet Nam had gained 
									great achievements in renewal, while it was 
									also dealing with some temporary 
									difficulties of its macro-economy. In these 
									circumstances, the visit showed 
									Switzerland’s support to Viet Nam’s 
									development and international integration. 
									
									The 
									two leaders agreed to sign a waiver to 
									exempt visas for diplomatic passport bearers 
									between the two Governments in the near 
									future. 
									
									The 
									two leaders said they were happy to see the 
									progress of economic and trade relations 
									between the two countries. Bilateral trade 
									turnover increased by more than 50 per cent 
									from 2000 to 2007, reaching US$410 million. 
									
									The 
									two leaders emphasised the important role of 
									Swiss development aid to Viet Nam, which 
									contributed to Viet Nam’s achievements in 
									hunger eradication and poverty alleviation 
									in implementing the UN Millennium 
									Development Goals. To maintain this 
									development, the Swiss President affirmed 
									his country would continue to support Viet 
									Nam. 
									
									The 
									two leaders encouraged co-operation between 
									financial agencies and banks of the two 
									sides. Switzerland affirmed it would 
									continue to help Viet Nam in this aspect. 
									
									
									President Triet said that he appreciated 
									Switzerland’s support in joining the World 
									Trade Organisation and becoming a 
									non-permanent member of the UN’s Security 
									Council. 
									
									
									Further talks 
									
									In a 
									separate talk with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan 
									Dung yesterday, Couchepin pledged to support 
									Vietnamese goods in the Swiss market, 
									especially coffee, garment and textiles 
									while encouraging Swiss businesses to invest 
									in Viet Nam 
									
									He 
									also committed to increase Official 
									Development Assistance to Viet Nam in the 
									fields of environment, education and 
									training. 
									
									
									Earlier, PM Dung reiterated that Viet Nam 
									wanted to co-operate further with 
									Switzerland in all aspects, especially in 
									trade, investment, education and training. 
									
									Dung 
									said the Vietnamese Government and people 
									have always wanted and would try their 
									utmost to deepen Viet Nam-Switzerland 
									relations in an attempt to bring about 
									practical benefits to both countries. 
									
									He 
									presented the current socio-economic 
									situation in the country, especially 
									measures to curb inflation, stabilise the 
									macro-economy, ensure social welfare and 
									maintain a proper growth rate in the context 
									of the present global economy’s recession. 
									
									
									National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong 
									also received Couchepin on the same day. 
									
									He 
									said that delegations from both countries’ 
									national assemblies have exchanged visits in 
									the past and hoped there would be much more 
									in the future. 
									
									Trong 
									said Viet Nam wished to welcome the head of 
									the Swiss parliament and other 
									parliamentarians to visit soon. 
									
									As for 
									reform and the development process in Viet 
									Nam, Trong told his guest that Viet Nam was 
									implementing administrative and judicial 
									reform while renewing the National 
									Assembly’s operational mode to better 
									implement basic functions such as 
									legislation, supervision and deciding the 
									important issues of the country. 
									
									Viet 
									Nam has always attached great importance to 
									solving social issues, reducing poverty and 
									protecting the ecological environment for 
									sustainable development, Trong stated. 
									
									
									General Vo Nguyen Giap later requested 
									Switzerland to help Viet Nam in educating 
									the young generation, especially in science 
									and technology, at a meeting with Couchepin. 
									
									
									Couchepin showed respect for Giap, saying 
									Switzerland was an independent country and 
									had learned a great deal from the general 
									and from Viet Nam. 
									
									
									General Giap presented his guest with a book 
									entitled: "General Headquarters in the 
									Spring of Great Victory". — VNS  |