Chairman of the Swedish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Aaron Emilsson, believes that the 55-year relationship between Vietnam and Sweden can serve as a role model for the world, especially at a time when the rules-based world order faces many challenges.

Emilsson just led a Swedish parliamentary delegation on a four-day visit to Vietnam earlier this week.

He had a talk with Tuoi Tre News over the potential of the relationship between the two countries.

A world-class model

“It's very touching to see the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City and the Hoa Lo Prison Historic Site in Hanoi," he said.

"We were able to better understand what damage war actually did to the people and prisoners. 

“It's also very sad to see how civilians have been affected by the war that ended in 1975, along with how the chemical weapons still affect people today, especially the newborns."

Emilsson stressed that the upcoming 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s Reunification (April 30) is a significant milestone for the Southeast Asian country.

During Vietnam’s resistance war, many Swedes took to the streets in anti-war protests, demonstrating solidarity with the Vietnamese efforts.

The Swedish legislator shared his thoughts: “[The upcoming anniversary] can serve as a backdrop of how to strengthen and develop relations. Since we celebrate more than 55 years of diplomatic relations, I believe Sweden and many other countries want to take part in the commemoration of the ending of the war."

Speaking about inter-parliamentary cooperation, Emilsson stressed that the parliaments of the two countries share the deepest and most long-standing projects aimed at enhancing their legislative capacity. 

“The kind of long-standing cooperation in these fields is very unique, even for Sweden," he emphasized.

"There's a huge interest from the Swedish Parliament in the history of Vietnam and our historic partnership in reconstructing and rebuilding the country after the war.

“We have supported Vietnam when it comes to building hospitals and other types of development projects.

"This is an age-old tradition."

Emilsson expressed great confidence that the legacy of the countries’ relations could become a global model for how to address conflicts.

He underscored that Vietnam and Sweden share the same perspective on the importance of self-reliance and minimizing risks arising from dependence on outside forces. 

“In the context of a rules-based international order facing numerous challenges, both countries as sovereign states must stand up for self-determination, freedom, democracy, and not be in the hands of the superpowers and other actors,” Emilsson underlined.

Sweden established bilateral relations with Vietnam in 1969, being one of the first non-Communist countries in Europe to do so.

Partners in future innovation

During the visit, the Swedish delegation met with Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs Don Tuan Phong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, and leaders of Ho Chi Minh City.

Emilsson noted there are many opportunities for Vietnam and Sweden to further develop economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

The two countries have common interests and can establish a strategic partnership in such fields as innovation, science, research and development, and green transformation.

“The message we received from the Swedish companies present here is that this is a very dynamic country," he shared.

"It’s quite easy to work with the companies' counterparts and that's a key factor for the Swedish businesses to expand their operations.

"They also reaffirmed their commitment to being a constructive partner to Vietnam in contributing to the economic growth, along with being a reliable partner in innovation, science and technology."

Streamlining the state apparatus

Beyond diplomacy and economic ties, Emilsson also shared insights on governance and institutional efficiency.

Drawing on over 10 years of experience as a lawmaker, he confirmed that the most important aspect of making the state apparatus more efficient is to ensure inclusiveness.

“It’s very important to be inclusive," he explained.

"It's a very Swedish value to include marginalized groups and women in decision-making, along with building necessary institutional capacity and resilience in the legislative process."

He also suggested that the parliament should have the authority to propose new laws and play a central role in decision-making, rather than assigning all responsibilities to the government.

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