Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the Vietnam-Netherlands Business Forum (Source: VNA) Addressing the Vietnam-Netherlands Business Forum entitledTowards a Sustainable Future in the Hague on July 10, PM Phuc told 450participating enterprises, including nearly 300 from the host country, that“you can become strategic shareholders of many Vietnamese State-ownedenterprises that are about to sell shares on the market”.
He informed the businesses that Vietnam has signed 12 freetrade agreements and will soon sign the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA)with the European Union.
He added that in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2017 report,the country climbed to the 82nd position from the 91st last year, while the World Economic Forum ranked Vietnam 60th out of138 countries in competitiveness. Vietnam expects to achieve 6.7 percent GDPgrowth this year, up from 6.1 percent last year.
PM Phuc said that Vietnam encourages Dutch enterprises to increaseinvestment in helping Vietnam enhance processing capability and increase itsstatus in the global value chain.
Mentioning the increasing climate change impacts in Vietnam,PM Phuc said the country hopes the Netherlands’ private sector will help theSoutheast Asian nation tackle the challenge.
“This is a huge opportunity for the Netherlands’enterprises, particularly small and medium ones,” he said.
“If we can grasp the opportunity and uphold the diplomaticadvantages, especially under the context of soon signing the EVFTA, theNetherlands and Vietnam will surely reap more than the current achievements andforge a deep and comprehensive economic connection between ASEAN and EU.”
He said that through Vietnam, Netherlands’ investors couldapproach the market of 700 million in the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN).
Recalling that Dutch merchants had arrived in Quang Namprovince’s Hoi An Port as early as in the 17th century, PM Phuc underscoredthat the Netherlands is one of Vietnam’s large trade partners and markets inthe Europe. Two-way trade exceeds 7 billion USD.
By the end of March, the Netherlands’ investment in Vietnamreached 7.65 billion USD, leading all European countries.
On the occasion, PM Phuc witnessed the signing of dealsamong businesses from both sides worth some 700 million USD.
Speaking at the business forum, Deputy Prime Minister andMinister of Social Affairs and Employment of the Netherlands, Lodewijck Asschersaid the signing of agreements among businesses is significant but the moreimportant target is how to bring benefit to people of both sides.
With 90 million people, Vietnam is a huge market, Asschersaid.
The EU passing the EVFTA will create impetus for cooperationbetween Vietnam and the EU, including the Netherlands, he said.
“The Netherlands is ready to share with Vietnam experiencesin the construction of irrigation projects and smart cities, farm production,management of food safety and climate change response,” Deputy PM Asscher said.
Michael van Straalen, acting chairman of Royal Associationof MKB-Nederland, the largest entrepreneurs’ organisation in the Netherlands,said he hopes that the forum would be an opportunity for enhanced cooperationbetween the Governments and enterprises from both countries.
On the same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended abusiness roundtable focusing on issues related to smart city and airport city.
Representatives from the Netherlands shared their experiencein building smart and airport cities and made recommendations on developingairports in Vietnam, while noting that they want to cooperate with Vietnam inthe field.
Vietnam is studying to build smart cities andenvironmentally-friendly airport cities, Phuc said, adding that the countryhopes to receive the Netherlands’ support in the work.-VNA
VNA
