A Vietnam Business Forum in Europe, the fourth of its kind so far, was organised in the German capital city of Berlin from Sept. 11-13.

The forum, entitled “Challenges and opportunities for Vietnamese businesses in Europe ,” brought together more than 200 outstanding Vietnamese entrepreneurs from 10 European nations and a number of delegations from the home country.

This year’s forum took place at a time when European countries are coping with the adverse impacts of the global financial crisis. It served as a venue for overseas Vietnamese businesspeople to share experiences in an effort to weather difficulties and step up business and investment both in the resident countries and in the home land.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien spoke highly of the great progress made by the Association of Vietnamese Businesses in Europe (AVBE) in recent years, as well as its endeavours to assist and put forth directions for investment and business activities of Vietnamese companies amid the world economic crisis.

The State and the Ministry of Industry and Trade always consider overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs an integral part of Vietnam ’s business community and an important momentum for the home country’s economic development, he said.

The deputy minister affirmed that the government and relevant agencies will adopt policies and create a better legal framework and an open environment to attract more businesses from abroad to invest in Vietnam .

Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Do Hoa Binh said the forum was one of the embassy’s major activities in the lead up to the 35 th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Germany diplomatic ties in 2010.

The diplomat said he hoped that the forum would create changes and new directions for the Vietnamese business community in Europe . He pledged to support activities of overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs who are operating in Germany .

At the forum, which was held annually in European countries, the AVBE was renamed the Union of Vietnamese Businesses Associations in Europe .

The participants elected a new executive committee, with the Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Businesses in Poland , Hoang Manh Hue, elected as President of the union./.