Switzerland has proposed Viet Nam hold free trade talks with the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) which consists of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein.

Swiss Vice President and Economy Minister Doris Leuthard was speaking of this proposal in Geneva last week at a meeting with Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan.

This meeting also saw discussions of trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, the Viet Nam News Agency reports.

Leuthard said education and training were also prioritized in Switzerland’s cooperation with Viet Nam.

She also proposed setting up an air link between Viet Nam and Switzerland to further develop their fine commercial, investment and travel cooperation.

Nhan, who was in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum last week, said at a dialogue with some 30 world business leaders on the sidelines of the forum in Davos, said Viet Nam would continue administrative reforms to create a better investment climate and an equal playing field for businesses.

A market with a population of 86 million is big enough for foreign companies and a stepping stone for them to expand into Southeast Asia with 600 million people and free trade areas which are under way between ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea, said Nhan.

The dialogue, under the co-chair of WEF-Asia Chief Sushant Palakurthi Rao, also looked into Vietnam’s development directions, particularly those concerning infrastructure planning and human resource development.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, where more than 2,500 delegates discussed the economic crisis and other global challenges, Nhan highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements last year, especially inflation control.

Participants to the forum considered Vietnam, which posted a growth rate of 6% and attracted US$60 billion in new foreign direct investment in 2008, as one of a few attractive investment destinations. (SGT)