Since the 1960s and 1970s, many Swiss people have joined anti-war movements and spoken out in support of independence and peace for Vietnam. After the war, this solidarity continued through humanitarian activities, community support, and efforts to stand alongside those still suffering the consequences of the war, including victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.

The Switzerland-Vietnam Association (Association Suisse-Vietnam - ASV) was officially established on November 27, 1982, on the foundation of the solidarity movement with Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, many Swiss citizens participated in demonstrations against the war, campaigned to mobilize public support for the Vietnamese people's right to independence and self-determination, and condemned the use of chemical agents during the war. After the war, solidarity activities continued through support for reconstruction, humanitarian initiatives, and efforts to promote friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Bonding with Vietnam through humanitarian work

Margrit Schlosser, the first President of the Switzerland-Vietnam Association, is a humanitarian activist who has maintained a close connection with Vietnam for more than four decades.

The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations presents its insignia to Marco Medici (fourth from right), a member of the Switzerland-Vietnam Association; Margrit Schlosser (third from right), representative of Terre des Hommes Lausanne in Ho Chi Minh City and former President of the Switzerland-Vietnam Association. (Photo: Provided by Nguyen Thi My Tien)

Having previously worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Caritas Switzerland, and Terre des Hommes Lausanne, she made her first trip across Vietnam in 1981. The severe consequences of the war that she witnessed firsthand during the journey inspired her to maintain a long-term commitment to Vietnam.

During nearly two decades of living and working in Vietnam, she directly coordinated numerous programs in community development, healthcare, child sponsorship, support for disadvantaged people, and assistance for vulnerable groups. Projects carried out by Caritas Switzerland and Terre des Hommes Lausanne in healthcare, education, and community development were also implemented during this period.

In recognition of her contributions to humanitarian activities and Vietnam-Switzerland friendship, she was awarded the Medal for Peace and Friendship among Nations by the Liên hiệp các tổ chức hữu nghị Việt Nam.

In 2011, after retiring and returning to Switzerland, she continued her volunteer work, raising funds for projects supporting victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and cooperating with the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) on support programs and international advocacy efforts.

Solidarity rooted in the anti-war movement

Anjuska Marija Weil joined the movement opposing the war in Vietnam in 1966.

In 1968, her family took in Doan Son, a Vietnamese teenager who had suffered severe burns from a napalm bomb and had been brought to Germany and Switzerland for treatment by Terre des Hommes. Her mother adopted Son, and he subsequently became a member of the family. This story forged a special bond between Anjuska Weil and Vietnam.

Since 1994, she has served as President of the Switzerland-Vietnam Association, continuing people-to-people diplomacy and expanding cooperative relations between the two countries.

Former Vice President of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Binh (fourth from right, front row) meets international friends on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam (April 30, 1975-April 30, 2015), including Anjuska Marija Weil (far left, front row), President of the Switzerland-Vietnam Association. (Photo: Provided by Nguyen Thi My Tien)

Under her leadership, the Association has implemented numerous programs to support victims of Agent Orange/dioxin, mobilized donations for humanitarian projects, built schools, supported people with leprosy, developed microcredit programs, and improved healthcare and education conditions in various localities across Vietnam.

In Switzerland, the Association organizes exhibitions, seminars, forums, and Solidarity Days with Vietnam to raise public awareness of the consequences of the war and raise funds for humanitarian programs. It also cooperates with the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) in supporting victims and mobilizing international public opinion in pursuit of justice for Agent Orange victims.

Anjuska Marija Weil was awarded the Medal for Peace and Friendship among Nations and the Friendship Order by the Vietnamese State in 2006. In 2021, the Switzerland-Vietnam Association was awarded the Friendship Order by the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in recognition of its contributions to strengthening friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Continuing to stand with Agent Orange victims

On January 19, 1969, three young Swiss men, Olivier Parriaux, Bernard Bachelard, and Noé Graff, secretly climbed to the top of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and hung the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam.

The 17.5-square-meter flag, made of silk and sewn by Bernard Bachelard’s wife, flew from the top of the cathedral for several hours, generating widespread coverage in the French and international media. French police had to deploy a helicopter and took approximately 11 hours to remove the flag.

The identities of the three men behind the action were kept secret for decades. It was not until 2023, when the book Le Viet Cong au sommet de Notre-Dame was published, that the story was revealed more fully.

According to Olivier Parriaux, what mattered was not the names of those who hung the flag, but letting the world know that the Vietnamese people were not alone in their struggle for independence and peace.

From left: Olivier Parriaux and Bernard Bachelard, two of the three men who hung the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam atop the tower of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, in 1969, during their visit to Ho Chi Minh City in November 2024. (Photo: Dantri Newspaper)

In November 2024, Olivier Parriaux and Bernard Bachelard returned to Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, they visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, the War Remnants Museum, and the Peace Village. They also expressed their support for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin, including by standing alongside Tran To Nga, who has spent many years pursuing a lawsuit against US chemical companies over Agent Orange, in her pursuit of justice.

Olivier Parriaux said they were mobilizing resources in Switzerland to help cover the legal costs of the lawsuit. They were also working with influential individuals in Ho Chi Minh City and seeking cooperation with organizations to support this cause.

During their visit, Ho Chi Minh City leaders presented the Ho Chi Minh City Badge to Olivier Parriaux and Bernard Bachelard in recognition of their contributions to the solidarity movement with Vietnam.

Lo Lo Chai Village Promoted to International Visitors Through Swiss Partnership On May 19, a delegation from the Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam, led by Ambassador Thomas Gass, visited the community-based tourism village of Lo Lo Chai in Lung Cu Commune, Tuyen Quang Province.

Vietnam-Sweden Children's Film Week Opens in Hanoi On June 1, 2026, the Vietnam Film Institute, in collaboration with the Swedish Embassy in Vietnam, organized the opening ceremony of the Vietnam-Sweden Children's Film Week at Ngoc Khanh Cinema (Vietnam Film Institute).