PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a working session with a delegationof the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) in Hanoi on March 22, during which he saidVietnam wants to promote its comprehensive partnership with the US in a practical, effective, equal and mutually-beneficial manner.
The delegationcomprised leaders of over 50 leading US and world businesses like Netflix,Boeing, Apple, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, Abbott, Visa, Citibank, Meta, Ford, FedexExpress, among others.
PM Chinh affirmedthat Vietnam always considers the US one of the top important partners, addingthat the Vietnamese Government always stays ready to listen to the US firms todeal with difficulties in the spirit of harmonising benefits and sharing risks.
Hesaid Vietnam is carrying out three strategic breakthroughs, including buildingand fine-tuning institutions, reforming administrative procedures and traininghuman resources, developing modern and synchronous infrastructure, andprioritising the development of emerging economic sectors such as greeneconomy, circular economy and digital economy. Vietnam already inked 15 freetrade agreements with over 60 countries and territories, thus creatingfavourable conditions for enterprises.
Expressing hisbelief in Vietnam’s growth prospect in the future, USABC President and CEO TedOsius said the US enterprises are committed to doing long-term business in Vietnam.
US Ambassador toVietnam Marc E. Knapper said it is the biggest-ever US business delegation toVietnam, showing the US’s commitment to promoting ties with the Southeast Asian country on the basisof respecting independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and politicalregime of each other for the common goal of prosperity of each country, the region and the world.
Representatives of US business expressed their desire to continue investing inVietnam, particularly in green transformation, digital transformation, energytransition, finance, manufacturing, automobile industry, entertainmentindustry, healthcare, science and technology, logistics, and others.
Theyoffered suggestions related to a legal framework for e-commerce, cybersecurityand information access, tax policies, reform of the capital market to drawinvestment, easier visa policies, acceleration of licensing of several projectsand products, and improvement of Vietnam's product standards.
The PM asked Vietnamese ministries and agencies to grasp and deal with their proposals.
PM Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of US companies. (Photo: VNA) TheVietnamese Government will continue making it easier for US firms to expandoperations in Vietnam and help the Vietnamese enterprises join more deeply inthe US’s production value chain, PM Chinh said.
He suggested both sidescontinue discussing to tackle difficulties in production and trade and improve the businessenvironment.
The government leader provided information about specific sectors of the USABC and US businesses’interest such as digital economy and innovation, healthcare, energy,agriculture and aviation.
He suggested the USABC continue acting as a bridge betweenthe US Government and businesses with their Vietnamese counterparts, support thepromotion of bilateral cooperation channels, enhance practical and effectivecooperation with Vietnam on the basis of optimising the potential of theVietnam-US comprehensive partnership framework, especially in economy, tradeand investment; as well as carry forward the US administration’s increasedeconomic and trade activities with ASEAN, contributing to maintaining peace,stability, cooperation and development in Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia inparticular.
PM Chinh proposed the USABC further expand business and investment activities inVietnam, focusing on the fields where Vietnam has demand the USABC businesses have strength;and strengthen coordination among business associations to make it easier forVietnamese firms to join the global supply and value chains.
ThePM called on the USBAC to work with Vietnam to build special policies to drawthe US’s multinational corporations in large-scale and hi-tech projects, constructionof R&D centres and incubators, andfacilitate technology transfer to Vietnamese firms, especially in productionof vaccines and medicines, medical equipment, hi-tech; digital, clean and smartagriculture; and climate change adaptation.
Vietnamis ready to import machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts from the US toimprove trade balance with the US, he said.
He expressed support for joint workwith the US Government to set up a bilateral cooperation mechanism on trade promotion to review the potential, demand and opportunities between the twocountries.
The leader believed that USABC and the US enterprises will be instrumental in bolstering the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership to bring growth and jobs to the two countries' people for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and development in theregion and the world./.
