Embassy willing to support Dutch businesses operating in Vietnam: Ambassador

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands is ready to be a bridge and a channel to send recommendations from Dutch businesses to the Vietnamese government to improve mechanisms and create favourable conditions for investors operating in Vietnam, said Ambassador Ngo Huong Nam.

He made the statement at an event “Meet Ambassador” held on December 8 by the Vietnamese Embassy in the Netherlands and the Dutch Business Association Vietnam (DBAV).

The event aimed to enhance dialogue and exchanges between the embassies and the business communities of the two countries. This was also an opportunity for businesses that are planning to invest and do business in Vietnam to listen to the experience of those who have been investing in the Southeast Asian nation.

At the meeting, the ambassador reviewed some outstanding activities of the two countries in 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, starting with the visit to the Netherlands by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in December 2022, and ending with the visit to Vietnam by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in November 2023.

Regarding cooperation in trade and investment between the two countries, Nam highlighted achievements obtained after more than three years of implementing the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Bilateral trade has grown impressively at an average of 22% in the 2020-2022 period, reaching 11.1 billion USD last year.

The Netherlands has become Vietnam's second-largest trading partner and largest investor in the EU with 432 valid projects and total registered capital of 14.3 billion USD.

As the Netherlands is one of 10 countries that have not yet ratified the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the ambassador expressed his wish that the Dutch business community, through DBAV as well as the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, propose the Dutch Parliament and Government to soon ratify the deal.

Representatives from Dutch ministries and agencies as well as businesses appreciated the steering role of the Vietnamese Government given many difficulties and challenges in the world and regional situations in the past two years. With macroeconomic stability, relatively high growth and controlled inflation, Vietnam is said to have a good business investment environment for foreign investors, including those from the Netherlands, they said./.