Honorary Consul in Zug (Switzerland): Trust is the most valuable capital for attracting investment to Vietnam

Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in Zug (Switzerland), former German Vice Chancellor Philipp Rösler speaks with the press on the sidelines of the second Conference of Honorary Consuls of Vietnam. (Photo: Trung Anh)

On the sidelines of the second Conference of Honorary Consuls of Vietnam, The World and Vietnam Report spoke with Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in Zug (Switzerland), former German Vice Chancellor Philipp Rösler about his experience in advancing economic and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Switzerland, as well as the role of the Honorary Consul network in connecting businesses and local authorities.

Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in Zug, Philipp Rösler, shares his views at the Second Conference of Honorary Consuls of Vietnam Abroad. (Photo: Trung Anh)

During your tenure as Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in Zug, what initiatives have you undertaken to promote economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Switzerland?

For me, serving as Vietnam’s Honorary Consul has been both a meaningful journey and an invaluable experience. I deeply appreciate the responsibility entrusted to me and remain grateful for the confidence placed in me by the Vietnamese State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That trust has inspired me to work even harder to connect business communities, foster economic cooperation, and attract investment, particularly in technology, innovation, and foreign direct investment.

From the very beginning of my appointment, I identified one of my top priorities as building a sustainable platform linking the business communities of Vietnam and Switzerland.

With that objective, we established the Vietnam-Switzerland Economic Forum, bringing together business leaders from both countries to create a regular platform for dialogue, where companies can exchange information, identify partners, explore cooperation opportunities, and gradually translate those opportunities into concrete investment projects.

The Forum is held annually in Switzerland, with a corresponding event organized in Vietnam, ensuring continuous engagement between the two business communities.

In my view, regular dialogue enables businesses to gain a better understanding of the investment climate, the needs of their counterparts, and sectors with strong cooperation potential. This, in turn, helps expand investment and business activities, particularly in high technology, innovation, and other high value-added industries.

Drawing on your experience, what additional mechanisms or forms of support should the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consider to help Honorary Consuls better fulfill their role, particularly in promoting economic, trade, and investment cooperation with international partners?

First of all, I highly appreciate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for organizing this Conference of Honorary Consuls. It is an extremely practical initiative that provides Honorary Consuls from different countries with an opportunity to meet, exchange experiences, and strengthen connections after years of working in their respective jurisdictions.

If I could make one recommendation, it would be to hold such conferences on a regular basis, perhaps every two years. Regular meetings would enable Honorary Consuls to share practical experiences, present successful cooperation models, exchange information about initiatives in their respective countries, and jointly discuss ways to improve the effectiveness of the entire network.

Through this process of learning from one another, successful practices can be replicated more widely, strengthening coordination among Honorary Consuls in supporting Vietnam’s international cooperation efforts.

I believe that a regular and substantive exchange mechanism will further enhance the effectiveness of Vietnam’s Honorary Consul network abroad while empowering Honorary Consuls to play an even stronger role in promoting economic, trade, and investment cooperation, as well as facilitating connections between Vietnamese localities, businesses, and international partners.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang presents the Certificate of Merit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Mr. Philipp Rösler and other Honorary Consuls in recognition of their outstanding contributions to promoting cooperation between Vietnam and international partners. (Photo: Trung Anh)

At this Conference, you are participating in a discussion on economic cooperation. Based on your extensive experience in business networking and international investment promotion, what do you consider the key factor in building trust, attracting investment, and strengthening connections between Vietnamese enterprises and foreign partners?

In my opinion, the most important factor in promoting economic cooperation and investment is people-to-people connectivity. Every lasting partnership begins with personal interaction, mutual understanding, and, above all, trust. Only when trust is established are businesses willing to make strategic, long-term investment decisions.

That is why, as an Honorary Consul, we always prioritize organizing business forums, networking activities, and direct meetings between partners from both countries. These initiatives create opportunities for companies to engage in dialogue, expand their networks, and gradually build a solid foundation for long-term cooperation.

Through these exchanges, international businesses gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s investment environment, development potential, and competitive advantages. I have great confidence in Vietnam’s young and talented workforce, its rapidly advancing technological capabilities, and the spirit of innovation and ambition of its people.

These are highly compelling factors for international investors and provide a strong basis for choosing Vietnam as a strategic destination for long-term investment.

During this visit, you had the opportunity to explore Quang Ninh Province, which is emerging as one of Vietnam’s leading growth, logistics, and investment hubs. From your perspective, how do you assess the cooperation potential between Quang Ninh and Swiss partners, particularly in areas where both sides have comparative strengths?

I am delighted that this Conference is being held in Quang Ninh, as the province is an excellent example of Vietnam’s potential to attract international investment and cooperation.

Around three years ago, I received a call from the CEO of HAECO, one of the world’s leading aircraft maintenance companies. He explained that the company was looking for a suitable location in Vietnam to establish a large-scale aircraft maintenance center serving one of the major U.S. airlines, and asked me to recommend the most promising investment destination.

After assessing several locations across Vietnam, we identified Van Don International Airport as the most suitable choice. The company subsequently worked closely with the authorities of Quang Ninh Province and decided to move forward with an investment project focused on advanced aviation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and other cutting-edge engineering solutions, with the goal of establishing a maintenance center that can compete at the regional level.

More recently, HAECO, together with Sun Group, Quang Ninh Province, and partners including Toyota and Japan Airlines, signed cooperation agreements to implement the project. With a total investment of approximately US$300 million and the creation of around 1,000 jobs, the project is expected to support the development of Vietnam’s aviation industry, accelerate economic restructuring, attract high-quality investment, and strengthen the province’s competitiveness.

To me, this is a clear illustration of the value that Honorary Consuls can bring. Beyond strengthening friendship between nations, we also serve as bridges that help international businesses connect with Vietnamese localities, identify suitable cooperation opportunities, and build trust among partners.

When government support, business initiative, and effective connectivity come together, initial ideas can evolve into large-scale investment projects that generate long-term value and deliver tangible benefits to both host localities and international partners.

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