NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan is welcomed at the Arlanda International Airport (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan arrivedin Stockholm on April 6 morning (local time), beginning a three-day officialvisit to Sweden at the invitation of Speaker of the Swedish Parliament(Riskdag) Urban Ahlin.
Chairwoman Ngan waswelcomed at the Arlanda International Airport by Swedish senior officials,Vietnamese Ambassador to Sweden Doan Thi Phuong Dung, the embassy staff andoverseas Vietnamese in the country.
The visit is of significance, aiming to consolidate and promote the traditionalfriendship and cooperation between two countries in specific fields, including legislativeexperience sharing and information exchange.
It also offers an opportunity for the law-makers to meet with Vietnamese expatsin Sweden.
This is the firstvisit 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 withVietnam (January 11, 1969). The country also gave strong support to Vietnamduring the country’s struggle against the US.
Over the past decades, the two countries have enjoyed sound bilateralrelations, which have been accelerated with their close coordination atregional and international inter-parliamentary forums, especially at theInter-Parliamentary Union.
Sweden is also Vietnam’s largest non-refundable aid provider in northwesternEurope, with total aid of 3.5 billion USD, mostly in health care, economicreform, institution building, administrative reform, legislation, humanresources development, environment and climate change response.-VNA
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