Hanoi

Facts

Swedish involvement began in the 1960s, when Swedish opinion was heavily engaged in efforts to stop the Vietnam war. Support for the Vietnamese reform process was started in the late 1980s, when Vietnam introduced a new economic policy named Doi moi.

Content

Development Co-operation with Vietnam

Vietnam and Sweden have long lasting, strong and friendly relations, based to a large extent on forty years of development cooperation. Poverty reduction has always been the overriding objective of the development cooperation which started back in 1969. In the early days, support mainly included humanitarian assistance and infrastructure projects. Over the years, focus has shifted to supporting the Doi Moi reforms, with a strong focus on human rights and democracy, which is an important priority for the Swedish government.

 

The overarching goal for all Swedish development cooperation is to contribute to creating conditions for poor people to improve their quality of life. This will in turn contribute to the overall goal for Sweden’s Policy for Global Development (PGD), to contribute to a fair and sustainable global development.

However, Vietnam’s rapid economic development and integration in the world economy puts Vietnam and its relations with Sweden in a new perspective.

The years 2009 – 2013 constitutes a period of transition where the two countries will move away from a donor-recipient relationship towards more equal relations based on increasingly mutual interests. 

A current cooperation strategy for 2009 – 2013 governs both the phasing out of regular, bilateral development cooperation to Vietnam as well as the transition towards other forms of relations through selective cooperation.

The strategy was approved by the Swedish Government February 2009.  Envisaged key cooperation areas for the next  5-year period are human rights and democracy, including anti-corruption,  as well as environment and climate change. Gender equality is integrated in all interventions as well as in the dialogue.

Support for  civil society and other non-state actors is an important complement to cooperation with government agencies. Vietnam is eligible for Swedish loans and guarantees .

Phasing out of traditional  development cooperation     

The phasing  out of the regular development cooperation is carried out in a responsible manner, and efforts will be made  secure sustainable positive results. Regular development cooperation with Vietnam during 2004 -2008 was directed to the following main areas:

1. Natural Resources, Environment, Renewable Energy and Rural Development
2. Public Administration Reform and Anti-Corruption
3. Human Rights, Rule of Law, Culture and Media
4. Health Care
5. Private Sector Development
6. Research Cooperation 

The new Selective Cooperation                 

Selective cooperation is seen as a bridge between the traditional development cooperation and other broader, more equal relations based on mutual interests between state and non-state partners in the two countries. Limited development cooperation funds are used to promote such relations.

Partnerships between various actors in Sweden and Vietnam will be supported in a catalytic way. Priority areas for interventions are democracy and human rights including anti-corruption, and environment and climate change, but other areas where there is a clear mutual benefit can also be considered.

Sweden is also continuing its active role supporting Vietnam in the fight against corruption and will promote the development of a transparent, accountable society. Sweden is maintaining a coordinating role among development partners in Vietnam in anti-corruption.
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