As part of a working visit to the Nordic region to study international experience in support of legal reform and to promote bilateral cooperation in the maritime sector, on 22 May 2026, an inter-agency delegation led by Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Xuan Sang held a working programme in Gothenburg, Sweden. The focus of the working day was the delegation’s participation in the First Sweden–Viet Nam Conference on Green and Smart Port and Maritime Transformation, together with the signing and exchange of cooperation documents between agencies, associations and businesses of the two countries.
The working visit took place from 22 to 27 May 2026, with the aim of studying international experience and practices to support the drafting of the amended Viet Nam Maritime and Inland Waterways Code, while also promoting cooperation with Sweden and Finland in maritime affairs, seaports, logistics and green transport. The delegation included leaders of the National Assembly’s Committee on Legal and Judicial Affairs, together with representatives of central agencies such as the Party Central Committee Office, the Central Economic Commission, the Government Office and the Ministry of Justice. On the Vietnamese side in Sweden, the programme was attended by representatives of the Embassy of Viet Nam, the Viet Nam Trade Office and the Viet Nam Office of Science and Technology in Sweden.
The choice of Gothenburg as the first stop of the working programme was of practical significance. Gothenburg is one of Sweden’s and Scandinavia’s leading maritime, logistics and port hubs, with extensive experience in modern port governance, green transition, digitalisation of logistics chains and the development of a sustainable maritime ecosystem. Such experience provides valuable reference for Viet Nam in the context of the increasingly urgent need to improve institutions, enhance port capacity, develop logistics and reduce emissions in the transport sector.
The key highlight of the programme was the First Sweden–Viet Nam Conference on Green and Smart Port and Maritime Transformation. The conference was organised to create a forum for exchange between regulatory agencies, promotion organisations, ports, associations and businesses of the two countries on emerging trends in port and maritime development, particularly the application of technology, digital transformation, emissions reduction, operational efficiency improvement and the promotion of public-private partnership models in the port sector.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang emphasised that the traditional friendship of more than 55 years between Viet Nam and Sweden provides an important foundation for the two countries to expand cooperation in strategic and long-term areas. Sweden has strengths in innovation, green technology, sustainable governance and modern infrastructure development, while Viet Nam has substantial needs in the development of seaport systems, logistics, multimodal transport and green maritime transport. These are important complementary conditions for Viet Nam–Sweden cooperation in smart ports and maritime affairs to further deepen and deliver concrete results in the time ahead.
The conference also saw the participation of representatives of “Team Sweden”, including Business Sweden, Swedfund, the Swedish export credit agencies EKN/SEK, the World Maritime University, the Port of Gothenburg and Swedish companies. The presence of a wide range of agencies, organisations and businesses from Sweden’s maritime ecosystem demonstrated Sweden’s comprehensive approach, combining policy, finance, technology, training and business connectivity. This also offers useful experience for Viet Nam in mobilising social and international resources for maritime infrastructure development.
An important outcome of the conference was the signing and exchange of cooperation documents between the parties. These documents included: a Memorandum of Understanding between the Viet Nam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration and Team Sweden, represented by Business Sweden, on promoting cooperation in the maritime and port sectors towards smart, green and sustainable development; a Memorandum of Understanding between the Viet Nam Seaports Association and the Swedish Trade Office in Viet Nam on Swedish sponsorship for the 11th Congress of the Viet Nam Seaports Association, including the establishment of a Swedish national pavilion at the event; and a cooperation agreement between Sweden’s Fogmaker International AB and Huynh Thy Company in the port sector in Viet Nam.
These documents are significant not only in terms of cooperation principles, but also in opening up concrete areas of implementation among regulatory agencies, industry associations and businesses of the two countries. In particular, the cooperation focuses on areas where Viet Nam has major needs, such as port technology, maritime safety, green solutions, digital transformation, human resource training and business connectivity. The simultaneous participation of state agencies, promotion organisations, associations and enterprises helps create a favourable foundation for cooperation agreements to be translated into programmes, projects and networking activities in the coming period.
In addition to the conference, the delegation also held a working session with “Team Sweden”. At the meeting, both sides agreed that the traditional friendship between Viet Nam and Sweden serves as an important foundation for economic cooperation, in which transport, seaports and logistics still offer significant room for development. Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang proposed that the two sides focus on promoting cooperation in three key areas: port investment and technology; human resource training; and business connectivity. These three mutually reinforcing pillars both serve Viet Nam’s infrastructure development needs and create opportunities for Swedish companies and organisations to engage more deeply in the green and digital transformation of Viet Nam’s maritime sector.
On the afternoon of the same day, the delegation worked with the Swedish Transport Agency and the Swedish Transport Administration to learn about Sweden’s experience in developing maritime and inland waterway legislation. The two sides exchanged views on the organisational model of state management in the maritime and inland waterway sectors, experience in law-making and legal improvement, sectoral management mechanisms, as well as policies to promote sustainable transport development. These exchanges provide practical reference for Viet Nam in its process of studying, amending and improving the legal framework for maritime and inland waterways, ensuring that it meets new development requirements and aligns with international trends.
According to the working programme, the delegation will continue its activities in Sweden and Finland from 23 to 27 May 2026, including a courtesy call on Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, site visits to a number of transport and port facilities in Stockholm, and working sessions with Finland’s maritime authorities. These activities will help enrich the international practical basis for policy development, while broadening the scope of cooperation between Viet Nam and the Nordic countries in maritime affairs, seaports, logistics and green transport development.
With the successful organisation of the First Sweden–Viet Nam Conference on Green and Smart Port and Maritime Transformation, together with the signing of concrete cooperation documents, the first working day of the delegation in Gothenburg marked an important milestone in Viet Nam–Sweden maritime cooperation. This provides a foundation for the two sides to continue promoting practical initiatives, contributing to the modernisation of the port sector, the enhancement of logistics capacity, the development of green maritime transport and the strengthening of economic connectivity between Viet Nam and the Nordic region.