Hanoi (VNA) – Swiss President Pascal Couchepin has spoken highly of the Vietnam-Switzerland relations and affirmed that his country prioritises Vietnam in its cooperation policies.

“We [Switzerland and Vietnam] are in the very comfortable situation that there are no contentious issues pending,” the President said in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Geneva on July 28 before his official visit to Vietnam from August 3-6.

“The cooperation in the different fields is flouring and the links are getting stronger every year,” he said.

President Pascal said the main aim of his upcoming visit is to assess the actual situation and explore future avenues of potential cooperation between the two countries.

“My visit is a strong political sign of support from a friend to a friend in difficult times,” the President said.

He went on to say that Switzerland has followed Vietnam ’s transition and applauds the reforms the Vietnamese Government has introduced since the start of the doi moi (renewal) in 1986.

Switzerland continues to stand by Vietnam during the rougher times, the President said, adding that he is convinced the Vietnamese government has chosen the right action to tackle momentous difficulties and he is glad to hear the government is concentrating on fighting inflation.

President Pascal said that cooperation between Switzerland and Vietnam in training, research and higher education is very strong and multifaceted.

The cooperation in the field has been developed for many years and has proven to be very valuable for both sides, he said.

Around 15 percent of the visas granted by the Swiss Embassy in Hanoi are for professors, teachers and students, the president said.

He added that many professors and teachers from Swiss universities are teaching in Vietnam.

During his Vietnam visit, the president will witness the signing of a cooperation agreement by the Institute of Technology from Lausanne and the University of Technology of Ho Chi Minh City and the other by University of Geneva and the Hanoi National University.

Regarding economic ties between Vietnam and Switzerland, the President said he is “very positive about the future development, be it in trade or investment”.

By 2007, Switzerland poured more than 720 million USD into 46 projects in Vietnam.