NA Chairwoman on official visit to Sweden

National Assembly Chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, arrived in Stockholm on April 6. The three-day official visit to Sweden is in response to the invitation by the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament (Riskdag) Urban Ahlin.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan is welcomed at the Arlanda International Airport (Photo: VNA).

Chairwoman Ngan was welcomed at the Arlanda International Airport by senior Swedish officials, Vietnamese Ambassador to Sweden, Doan Thi Phuong Dung, the embassy staff and overseas Vietnamese in the country.

The visit is significant and aims to consolidate and promote the traditional friendship and cooperation between two countries in specific fields, including legislative experience sharing and information exchange.

It is also an opportunity for law-makers to meet with Vietnamese expats in Sweden. This is the first visit of a Vietnamese National Assembly chairperson to Sweden in 24 years, since the visit by then NA Chairman Nong Duc Manh in 1993.

Sweden was the first western country to set up diplomatic relations with Vietnam (January 11, 1969). The country also gave strong support to Vietnam during the country’s struggle against the US.

Over the past decades, the two countries have enjoyed sound bilateral relations, which have been accelerated with their close coordination at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums, especially at the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Sweden is also Vietnam’s largest non-refundable aid provider in northwestern Europe, with a total aid of US$3.5 billion, mostly in health care, economic reform, institution building, administrative reform, legislation, human resources development, environment and climate change response.

(Source: NDO)