The board’s chief representative will take charge of developing ties with domestic and foreign enterprises, the deputy chief representative will be responsible for fostering bonds with businesspeople and intellectuals with close ties to the two nations, and two members will hold events and external affairs in Vietnam.

Ambassador Le Linh Lan speaks at SVBG debut ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Luong Van My Thien, a Vietnamese-Swiss who has worked for Nestlé for nearly 30 years and helped bring the corporation to Vietnam in the early 1990s, takes on the role of the SVBG’s Honorary Chairman and Chief Advisor.

The SVBG also discussed its development strategy at the meeting, adopted an internal code of conduct, and upheld the principles of information confidentiality, intellectual property, the responsible use of social media, and the management of conflicts of interest.

At the SVBG debut ceremony in late February, Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Le Linh Lan spoke highly of its establishment at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. She stressed that it is the first association established by Vietnamese in Switzerland to boost bilateral trade.

The ambassador added that the Vietnamese Embassy and Trade Office in Switzerland support the SVBG’s activities, therefore making a practical contribution to ties between the two countries’ small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Founded by journalist Nguyen Thi Thuc (pseudonym Thuc Minh), former chief of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper’s Singapore bureau, and two Vietnamese-Swiss businesspeople in Lausanne, the SVBG focuses on updating enterprises from both countries on economic potential and opportunities via seminars, forums, and bulletins, providing guidance and support, facilitating technological transfer, introducing experts, skilled workers, and outsourcing services, and holding socio-cultural activities to support business activities.

Switzerland is now Vietnam’s sixth-largest European investor, with total capital of around 2 billion USD, primarily in manufacturing and processing and electricity. Meanwhile, Vietnam is Switzerland’s fourth-largest ASEAN trade partner, with two-way trade topping 3.6 billion USD in 2019. Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association, comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, have been officially negotiating a free trade agreement since 2012./.

BTA