Investment and partnership opportunities between Vietnamese and Finnish businesses—particularly in education, IT and telecommunications—were presented at a workshop held in Hanoi on April 17.

Birgit Nevala, Coordinator of a programme connecting Finnish and Vietnamese enterprises, informed the local business community of their foreign peers’ strong sectors as well as chances to access her programme’s financial assistance grants.

She also unveiled that a Finnish delegation in IT and education will visit and look for partnership opportunities in Vietnam in May.

Pham Thi Thu Hang, General Director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said the event is a bridge for the formation of their long-term bilateral economic ties.

According to Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Kimmo Lahdervirta, there are currently around 75 firms from his homeland investing in the Southeast Asian country.

The two nations’ trade revenue reached more than 230 million EUR in 2014, including 150 million EUR worth of Vietnamese exports, mostly footwear, apparel and furnishings. Meanwhile, Finland earned about 80 million EUR from shipment of its machinery and forest products to Vietnam.

The workshop is part of a programme to facilitate Vietnamese firms’ expansion of their operations overseas, especially as several free trade agreements, including one with the European Union, enter their final round of negotiations.-VNA