Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Pereric Hogberg (Photo: MV)
The Ambassador shared his thoughts during an interview with the Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper on the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) 2018.
Reporter: Could you please share with us your top priorities for your term of office in Vietnam?
Ambassador Pereric Hogberg: Being Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam is an honour and an engaging and straight forward job because the Swedish-Vietnamese relationship is so strong and long. As you know, in 1969, Vietnam and Sweden established diplomatic ties. Sweden provided about USD4 billion of ODA aid to Vietnam. When I was assigned this mission in your country, I received very clear instructions from the Swedish Government about what I have to do.
Firstly, I will continue to maintain and nourish the relationship in the changing and modern world to make sure in 2018 the two governments and two peoples understand each other. I will do my best to make sure the Vietnamese government see and understand the government, society and economy of Sweden today, and I will try my best with my embassy to maintain political dialogue and friendship with Vietnam.
Secondly, I will also try to help Swedish businesses operate successfully and effectively in Vietnam. Their presence will contribute to increasing two-way trade and creating more jobs for the Vietnamese economy.
Thirdly, the Swedish Embassy will continue to keep track of happenings on the East Sea, in ASEAN, Southeast Asia, Myanmar, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Vietnam’s relationship with China, Russia, and the US. I’m very impressed with Vietnam wanting to be a more active player in the UN and other international organizations. With engagement also comes responsibility.
Thus, I try to find areas in which the two countries can cooperate and talk with each other regarding global challenges or mutual concerns. For example, they can be climate changes issues, the multilateral trade system working in WTO, and how to facilitate and develop the multilateral system. Sweden is now a non-permanent member of UN Security Council and we play a very significant role in reforming and making the UN a better organization.
Lastly, I try to spread much information about Sweden. Sometimes, I feel that the image of Sweden is not really updated. I want to show Vietnamese people how Sweden is innovative, and how the country constantly tops the list of indicators and becomes a successful modern society in the world.
Reporter: 2017 witnessed many significant events in Vietnam - Sweden cooperative relations. How do you assess the results and impacts of leaders’ visits of the two countries to the relations?
Ambassador Pereric Hogberg: 2017 was a very interesting and important year. In early April, we had Chairwoman of National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s visit to Stockholm Sweden at the invitation of Speaker of the Swedish Parliament (Riskdag) Urban Ahlin. Since the visit by NA Chairman Nong Duc Manh in 1993, this is the latest travel by a Vietnamese National Assembly chairperson to my country.
It is of significance, aiming to consolidate and promote the traditional friendship and cooperation between two countries in specific fields, including legislative experience sharing and information exchange.
In late August, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha and representatives of Vietnamese universities visited Sweden to seek cooperation opportunities.
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Bnh Minh during her visit to Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)
Meanwhile, in November, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström visited Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh. The visit was a strong and clear manifestation of the cooperative relations between the two countries.
During the important visit, the two sides discussed and shared views on various issues, not least developments in the two respective countries. They agreed to intensify the on-going partnerships in several sectors such as in education-training, science, health and environment. They also shared mechanisms that could help promote UN multilateral cooperation as well as speed up the role of the UN Security Council.
Ms. Wallström visited and had discussion about the feminist diplomacy that Sweden is pursuing with hundreds of students of Foreign Trade University.
Reporter: Vietnam is seeing the second investment wave from Sweden. Which fields are Swedish companies interested in investing in the country?
Ambassador Pereric Hogberg: It is very interesting to call it the second investment wave from Sweden. But I think it is true. The fact that Swedish companies have operated in Vietnam for a long time, especially for production and consumer markets, is clear evidence.
Volvo Cars opened two 4S centers in Ho Chi Minh city and Hanoi. They were equipped with the most cutting-edge machines, equipment and technologies provided by the car makers and suppliers.
Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has opened the second store in Hanoi after the first one in Ho Chi Minh city.
Tetra Pak, the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company, has built a new packaging material factory in Binh Duong with major investment of more than USD110 million, creating about 200 new jobs.
IKEA has continued to expand operation and is today creating more than 110,000 jobs in Vietnam.
Other companies that are very successful in doing business in the country are ABB, Electrolux, and SKF.
Tourism is one of the key areas which is paid much attention from Swedish companies. Last year, some 44,000 Swedish citizens visited Vietnam, much higher than 37,000 arrivals in 2016. We have seen two charter flights a week from Stockholm to Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province.
Finally, I see interesting development coming from Swedish investment funds. I know, at least 5 Swedish investment funds acting in Vietnamese market or in stock. They are buying shares from Vietnamese consumer companies.
So I think, the fields which Swedish companies are interested in investing in Vietnam could be manufacturing of high productivity and high technical goods such as Tetra Pak, ABB, and Electrolux; retail and consumer market for Swedish products of high-quality and long-life circle band; management-style investment; and tourism.
Reporter: On the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, what would you like to say to the Vietnamese people?
Ambassador Pereric Hogberg: I hope all Vietnamese people will have a nice, enjoyable and restful Tet. I do stress that the Swedish government and people are committed to and trusted friends of Vietnam.
Reporter: Thank you so much! Wish you good health and continue to be successful in your position!