The 22 nd Vietnamese International Exhibition, Vietnam Expo 2012, opened its doors in Hanoi on April 4, with numerous kinds of products on display.

With the theme “ Vietnam – Cooperation for Development”, the expo comprises of more than 600 stands occupied by 450 domestic and overseas businesses from 20 countries and territories across the world.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien praised the participation of so many overseas businesses.

He said he hopes that the annual event will provide Vietnamese businesses with more opportunities to promote their goods, seek out trading partners, and expand their businesses and exports into the global marketplace.

Bien added that the expo will also help Vietnamese businesses integrate into the international economic community.

The Belarusian Deputy Minister of Trade Edvard Matulis said that the expo is an excellent opportunity for overseas exhibitors to develop new markets and promote their products in Vietnam and to other countries in the region.

He said Belarusian enterprises have faith in the potential of Vietnam ’s market as well as the country developing strongly in the near future.

Matulis added that Belarus will hold negotiations with the Vietnamese authorities to set up a trading centre in Hanoi as soon as possible to promote trade ties between the two countries in the near future.

According to a Hanoi representative from the Korean Trade, Investment & Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the presence of businesses from the Republic of Korea (RoK) at the 2012 Vietnam Expo indicates not only the strong trade ties between Vietnam and the RoK but also that RoK businesses are expecting to find more Vietnamese partners.-VNA