Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Trần Thanh Mẫn met with Anjuska Marija Weil, President of the Switzerland–Vietnam Friendship Association (SVFA), during his working visit to Geneva, reaffirming Vietnam’s deep appreciation for the association’s enduring commitment to bilateral friendship and humanitarian support.
Chairman Mẫn acknowledged that Vietnam’s national development has been bolstered by international solidarity, notably the contributions of individuals like Weil, who has led the SVFA for over three decades and visited Vietnam more than 20 times. He praised her long-standing support, dating back to her participation in anti-war protests in the 1960s, and her continued advocacy for Vietnam’s social and humanitarian causes.
He emphasized the SVFA’s significant role not only in fostering people-to-people diplomacy but also in mobilizing charitable aid for health care, education, and poverty alleviation in Vietnam. The association has supported projects ranging from building schools and aiding leprosy patients to providing assistance for victims of Agent Orange.
In response, Anjuska Marija Weil reiterated the SVFA’s mission, established in 1982, to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between the people of Switzerland and Vietnam. She highlighted the association’s recent initiatives, including microcredit programs, educational support, and health care improvements. The SVFA has also actively supported the Vietnamese diaspora, notably through the creation of the Bình Minh School in Switzerland, which offers Vietnamese language education to children of Vietnamese descent.
Weil affirmed her continued dedication to enhancing bilateral relations and expanding the association’s impact. Chairman Mẫn congratulated the SVFA on its accomplishments and underscored Vietnam’s gratitude for Switzerland’s ongoing partnership, especially in humanitarian fields such as the eradication of leprosy.