As part of a working trip to Northern Europe to study experiences in law revision and promote bilateral cooperation, the inter-ministerial delegation led by Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Xuan Sang held its first productive working day with leading Swedish maritime management agencies and partners in Gothenburg, on May 22nd, 2026.
The trip, from May 22-27, 2026, focuses on learning from international experiences and best practices to support the drafting of the revised Vietnamese Maritime and Inland Waterway Law, while also promoting bilateral cooperation with Sweden and Finland in the maritime sector.
The delegation includes leaders from the National Assembly's Law Committee and Justice Committee, along with representatives from central agencies including: the Central Party Office, the Central Economic Committee, the Government Office, and the Ministry of Justice.
On the first day of work (May 22nd), the delegation conducted a field survey in Gothenburg - the largest maritime and logistics center in Scandinavia; worked with the Swedish group “Team Sweden”; attended the first Sweden-Vietnam Conference on Green and Smart Port & Maritime Transformation; and worked with the Swedish Transport Authority and the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket).
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Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang works with the Swedish Group “Team Sweden”.
At the first working session with the Swedish Group “Team Sweden”, which includes the Swedish Trade and Investment Council, the Swedfund, the Export Credit Agency EKN/SEK, the World Maritime University, the Port of Gothenburg, and Swedish businesses, both sides assessed the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Sweden for over 55 years as a solid foundation for all economic cooperation. The two sides have much potential for transportation cooperation. The Deputy Minister proposed that both sides promote cooperation on the following three key areas: (i) Port investment and technology, (ii) Human resource training, and (iii) Business networking.
At the First Sweden-Vietnam Conference on Green and Smart Port and Maritime Transformation, Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang delivered the opening remarks together with Marcus Persson. The Deputy Minister emphasized that, building on the long-standing friendship between the two countries, Sweden’s strengths in innovation, green technology, and sustainable governance, combined with Vietnam’s significant development needs in the fields of seaports, logistics, and maritime transport, will create strong opportunities for cooperation. He expressed confidence that Sweden-Vietnam collaboration in green and smart ports and maritime development will continue to expand and deliver many tangible results in the years ahead.
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Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang delivered a speech at the Conference.
The Conference witnessed the signing/exchange of cooperation documents including: (i) A Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Vietnam Maritime Administration and the Swedish Group represented by the Swedish Trade and Investment Council (Swedish Trade Office) on cooperation to promote the maritime and port sector towards smart, green and sustainable development; (ii) A Memorandum of Understanding between the Vietnam Port Association and the Swedish Trade Office in Vietnam on Swedish sponsorship for the 11th Congress of the Vietnam Port Association, including the establishment of a Swedish national pavilion at the event; (iii) A cooperation agreement between Fogmaker International AB (Sweden) and Huynh Thy Company on cooperation in the port sector in Vietnam.
On the afternoon of the same day, the delegation held working sessions with the Swedish Transport Agency and the Swedish Transport Administration to learn from Sweden’s experience in developing maritime and inland waterway legislation.
During the meetings, the two sides engaged in detailed discussions and exchanges on the organizational structure and state management mechanisms for the maritime and inland waterway sectors, experiences in drafting and improving maritime and inland waterway laws, as well as policies and regulatory frameworks aimed at managing and promoting the development of these sectors. A number of other related issues were also discussed.
According to the mission program, the delegation will have a courtesy meeting with Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure and Housing; site visits to transportation infrastructure projects and seaports in Stockholm, and working sessions with Finnish maritime authorities from May 23 to 27, 2026.
Source: International Cooperation Department - Translated: M.A