Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and President To Lam and Swiss President Guy Parmelin enjoyed a walk around Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake on Saturday as part of the Swiss leader's official visit to Vietnam.
To Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly, accompanied Guy Parmelin and his spouse, Caroline Parmelin, amidst the autumn weather in the capital. The activity served as a part of the Swiss President and his wife’s official state visit from Oct. 17 to 18.
The leaders and their spouses showed great interest as they watched street artists creating portrait sketches along the lakeside.
Local artists presented Parmelin with personalized portrait sketches as gifts.
Parmelin previously visited Vietnam in July 2019 in his capacity as the Swiss Federal Councillor for Economic Affairs, Education, and Research.
Parmelin and his wife show their portrait sketches.
To Lam and Ngo Phuong Ly also received their portrait sketches as gifts.
Continuing their walk, the leaders and their spouses met with artisans crafting to he, a traditional Vietnamese toy figurine. The artisans presented the leaders with special figurines crafted in the image of the Vietnamese flag.
During the walk, To Lam introduced Parmelin to the historic Hoa Phong Tower, located at the beginning of Dinh Tien Hoang Street.
The three-story brick structure is the only remaining relic of Bao An, a pagoda built in 1842 that was demolished by the French administration in 1888 to clear land for the construction of the Hanoi Post Office.
The leaders waved to local residents and visitors gathered along the pedestrian street.
The Comprehensive Partnership of Vietnam and Switzerland was upgraded in January 2025. In 2026, the two nations celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. Switzerland identifies Vietnam as a priority partner in Southeast Asia.
After the walk, the leaders, their spouses and delegation members posed for a group photograph.
Previously, at their meeting, To Lam highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Switzerland, particularly emphasizing trade, investment and the development of digital finance.