Within the framework of the 19th Negotiation Session of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the EFTA Bloc held in Geneva (Switzerland) from February 24 to 27, 2026, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan had a bilateral meeting with Ms. Helene Budliger Artieda, State Minister, leader of the Swiss Federal Economic Service (SECO).
At the working session, the two sides noted significant progress in all areas of negotiation and reaffirmed political determination to soon complete the Agreement. Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan and Ms. Helene Budliger Artieda directly discussed and oriented the handling of outstanding specific contents, including trade in goods, trade in services, investment, intellectual property, trade and sustainable development, and government procurement.
The two sides agreed not to bring new issues to the negotiating table, focusing on flexibly removing differences to accelerate the negotiation progress, actively narrowing the gap, towards the goal of completing negotiations at the EFTA Ministerial Meeting scheduled to be held in Iceland in June.
To promote the early conclusion of the Agreement, Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan has officially invited Ms. Helene to Vietnam to jointly find ways to handle the remaining issues. Ms. Helene Budliger Artieda also expressed her expectation that if the Agreement is basically completed, the Swiss President is ready to make an official visit to Vietnam to promote bilateral cooperation at the highest level and mark this important milestone.
When signed, the Vietnam - EFTA FTA is expected to create a strong boost for trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and leading developed economies in Europe, making positive contributions to the regional supply chain and sustainable growth.
