Swedish Ambassador talks about Vietnam's 'dream'

Swedish Ambassador Johan Ndisi begins his term in Vietnam from August

Speaking to Thanh Nien on the sidelines of the Green Economy Forum and Exhibition 2024 (GEFE 2024) on October 21 in Ho Chi Minh City, new Swedish Ambassador Johan Ndisi mentioned the priorities in his new term and the goals he wants to achieve during his term in Vietnam.

Priorities during the term in Vietnam

Ambassador Johan Ndisi : I think that as Ambassador of Sweden, Vietnam is a great host. And that stems from the strong partnership between our two countries. This year Vietnam and Sweden celebrate 55 years of diplomatic relations. It is a real honor for me to be Ambassador during this period. Regarding priorities during my term, I have very clear goals.

As for Sweden, we have a large presence of companies in Vietnam, about 70 companies. And the interest in trade is growing. So my number one priority is to strengthen the bilateral trade relationship. We are also seeing Vietnamese companies investing in Sweden. FPT has just opened two offices and opened its first office. We have NutriFoods operating in Sweden. So trade is going both ways.

And that is what we are working on, and my goal as ambassador is to see more investment from Sweden to Vietnam and vice versa. As of now, bilateral investment is around 730 million USD. Last year alone, there was around 330 million USD in investment and I expect this number to increase in the future.

Bilateral trade turnover reaches 1.3 billion USD/year. We are building on an excellent foundation thanks to long-standing diplomatic relations. Therefore, it is completely natural that Swedish companies are looking to Vietnam. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Sweden was one of the countries that provided the most development aid to Vietnam, up to 5 billion USD at current prices.

It is also important to note that sometimes the numbers are only half the story, as in the trade relationship between Vietnam and Sweden. In the case of a large corporation like IKEA, 6% of total production in Vietnam is exported globally, and this figure is not reflected in bilateral trade.

Opening of the Swedish Pavilion at the Green Economy Exhibition 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City on October 21

My second priority is to deepen political relations and increase exchanges in this area. This year a Swedish vice-minister and a Swedish minister visited Vietnam, and more high-level bilateral visits are expected in the near future.

In addition to excellent political relations, people-to-people ties are equally impressive. The number of Swedish tourists to Vietnam has increased after a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Things are looking up.

I would also like to mention the recent good news, after Ericsson cooperated with Viettel and VNPT to deploy 5G network. That is a "quality" example of Vietnam-Sweden relations. 5G network also opens up new possibilities, such as automation in factories, creating more jobs in new fields. I think 5G also brings potential for cooperation in other areas.

Remember that Swedish companies are long-term investors and want to build long-term relationships. For example, Ericsson is investing in Vietnamese universities, such as cooperating to open training courses on artificial intelligence (AI) development at RMIT. Training is a core and continuous part of the company's operations.

Visitors visit the Swedish Pavilion at the Green Economy 2024 Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City on October 21.

Must accept failure to succeed

As for the secret to Sweden being the second most innovative country in the world, I think it is a combination of the fact that we are an exporting country, like Vietnam. Sweden is an export-oriented country and we need to be at the top to compete. We are used to competing from a young age, and in our education system, success is always welcome, but if you want to succeed, you need to fail, because a lot of innovation is built on a lot of failure. I think that to achieve innovation, we have to accept and combine trial and error. Errors are always out there.

You have to accept failure. You have to. Then you learn from your failures, make adjustments, and you succeed. If you talk to many of the top companies in innovation, they will tell you that this is not their first project. You have to accept failure because it is part of the process that leads to success.

Swedish Ambassador Johan Ndisi and the handbook 'Vietnam-Sweden Trade Imprint'

How does Sweden aim to continue to lead in the field of sustainability?

I think being a leader in innovation is one thing, but you need to continue to create an environment where you can experiment and try out ideas. In schools, in universities, they all have innovation centers where you are allowed to experiment and fail. That's okay. And you can't just sit there being number two, you have to come up with new ideas all the time.

Many of the big companies today were unknown 10 years ago. So you have to keep creating the conditions for big companies to emerge and compete on the world stage. 15 years ago, Spotify was a nobody. Today, Spotify is across the street from my old office in Stockholm. And the big companies of the future have not yet been born.

The first edition of the handbook 'Vietnam-Sweden Trade Imprints' has just been released.

How can Sweden support Vietnam in its efforts towards renewable energy and circular economy?

We can help through events like GEFE 2024, where companies can meet, ask questions, and present their innovative aspects. This is important because Vietnamese people, companies, and the Vietnamese government know what Sweden has to offer. You also know how to contact us and the financial resources we have to access these financial resources. We have good financial resources and export credit insurance. In addition, for Vietnamese companies that want to export to Sweden, you need to know what insurance is available in case the Swedish company goes bankrupt and you don’t get paid. We have insurance agents so that you, as an exporter, don’t have to take the risk.

The handbook "Vietnam-Sweden Trade Imprint" that I am holding in my hand is the first edition that provides instructions on contact, information on the organization, embassy, ​​trade leaders, Nordic Chamber of Commerce, contacts in Sweden, credit export companies... This publication will bring great help (for the Vietnamese side that is studying the Swedish market - NV).

The Swedish Pavilion features seven companies specializing in innovation and sustainability.

Areas with the greatest potential for cooperation between Sweden and Vietnam

Besides energy, I think the textile industry has real potential. We have a company that is very interested in investing in Vietnam and they can recycle polyester or plastic materials into polyester yarn. This is a really game-changing technology because it enables a circular economy with 0% emissions, so it is guaranteed net zero. The company is getting a lot of support from companies like H&M, Volvo (related to airbags in cars), and IKEA for furniture.

The company has the technology to recycle plastics and is looking for a place to build its first large plant. It already has a pilot plant in the US for research and development, and is considering setting up its first large plant in Vietnam. Vietnam has the opportunity to change the game with new recycling technology, as textiles and garments account for a significant portion of its exports.

Diplomats love Vietnamese bread

After two months in Vietnam, Ambassador Johan Ndisi said his favorite food is now banh mi. "In my opinion, banh mi is very suitable for lunch," he said, adding that it is a convenient and portable food. Before becoming ambassador to Vietnam in August, Mr. Ndisi's diplomatic career since 2003 focused on European Union (EU) issues, Africa, security policy, trade and development. He was Swedish Ambassador to Albania from 2016 to 2019 and worked at the Permanent Representative Office to the EU, including during Sweden's EU Presidency in 2009, as well as at the Embassy in Zimbabwe.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dai-su-thuy-dien-ke-ve-giac-mo-viet-nam-185241021200029067.htm