Vietnamese, Swiss firms expand business cooperation
On April 30, 2026, in Bern, the Vietnam Trade Office in Switzerland, in coordination with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Vietnam, held a working session with representatives of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in charge of the ASEAN market. The meeting took place in a formal and substantive atmosphere, focusing on reviewing key areas of cooperation and orienting trade promotion activities in the coming period.
One of the key issues discussed was the progress of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Aaron Dettwiler provided updates on the internal ratification process in Switzerland.
On the Swiss side, after the agreement is approved by Parliament and officially announced, it will undergo a 90-day period during which citizens may exercise the right to an optional referendum. If, within this period, any individual or organization gathers a sufficient number of valid signatures in opposition to the agreement, it will have to be reviewed again before formal ratification. The Swiss side emphasized that this is a constitutional process aimed at ensuring transparency and broad social consensus regarding international commitments.
The Swiss capital Bern.
To support Vietnamese enterprises in penetrating deeper into the European market, the Trade Office discussed in detail with SECO the event “Vietnam International Sourcing 2026”, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. SECO highly appreciated the scale and professionalism of the event and agreed to support wider promotion through its official communication channels.
Notably, information about the event will be disseminated across the network of Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), the country’s official organization for export and investment promotion, thereby facilitating direct connections between Swiss importers and reputable Vietnamese suppliers.
In addition, both sides agreed to organize a series of events under the “Vietnam Day in Switzerland”, scheduled for June 2026 in Zurich. This flagship activity, jointly organized by the Embassy, the Trade Office, and the Swiss-Vietnamese Economic Forum (SVEF), aims to enhance Vietnam’s economic standing in one of the world’s leading financial centers. At the same time, the two sides agreed to continue strengthening ongoing technical cooperation programs between SECO and Vietnamese partners to improve business competitiveness and promote sustainable development.
Significantly, the Embassy of Vietnam also informed that the country will assume the role of Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Bern (ACB) for the second half of 2026. Leveraging this position, both sides discussed the possibility of coordinating the organization of economic dialogue and trade exchange events between ASEAN and Switzerland.
At the end of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination and creating the most favorable conditions for the business communities of the two countries to promote efficient and sustainable cooperation.
