Co-organised bythe Vietnamese Embassy in India and the Associated Chambers of Commerce andIndustry of India for the northern region, the forum attracted more than 150Indian enterprises, organisations, and associations.
Thuong took theoccasion to call on Indian investors to invest in Vietnam, listing the country’sadvantages in possessing a strategic location in the centre of Southeast Asia,open investment attraction policies, low company establishment costs,favourable infrastructure, stable GDP growth, a young population, andcompetitive labour costs.
Vietnam has so farsigned 14 free trade agreements with over 50 countries and territories, headded.
VietnameseAmbassador Pham Sanh Chau noted that Chandigarh was selected as the venue forpromoting the two country’s cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, andeducation as it serves as the capital of the two neighbouring states of Punjaband Haryana and is a popular tourist destination.
Indianparticipants admired Vietnam’s economic progress over the past year,considering the country an attractive destination for foreign investors, especiallyamid the ongoing wave of shifting investments.
They are confidentabout strengthened Vietnam - India ties in trade, investment, education,tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Enterprises fromPubjab and Haryana said they see opportunities for cooperation with Vietnamese counterpartsin agricultural processing, IT, pharmaceuticals, garments-textiles, and autospare parts.
India is among Vietnam’stop 10 largest trade partners, with bilateral trade exceeding 10 billion USDand expected to reach 15 billion USD shortly.
According to datafrom the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of December, India had about300 valid projects in Vietnam worth some 900 million USD, ranking it 26th amongcountries and territories investing in the country./.