Vietnamese PM hosts international business leaders in Netherlands

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted receptions for leaders of several economic groups and organisations, in Amsterdam on July 9, as part of his on-going official visit to the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Vamed Group Chairman Ernst Wastler

Meeting with Chairman of the Board of Austrian Vamed Group Ernst Wastler, the PM thanked the group for its help with Vietnam’s public healthcare system over the past 20 years, particularly in the effective disbursement of official development assistance (ODA) loans made by the Austrian government and used to modernise the hospital network in Vietnam.

Ernst Wastler said Vamed will continue to work with Vietnamese ministries and departments to seek more financial and equipment aid for Vietnam.

At his meeting with the leaders of the Europe-ASEAN Business Alliance (EABA), PM Phuc spoke highly of the EABA’s role in connecting European and Southeast Asian businesses, especially in providing consultation and assistance to European enterprises aiming to cooperate with their Southeast Asian counterparts.

He stressed that the EU is a leading trade and investment partner of Vietnam, and that there is great potential for further economic cooperation between Vietnam and the EU, in general, and the Netherlands in particular.

The Vietnamese Government will facilitate investment by EU businesses in Vietnam, in infrastructure, support industry, high technology, climate change adaptation, renewable energy and environment, he said.

He asked the EABA to make use of any opportunities provided by the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement to boost EU investment in Vietnam and also make inroads into the vast Asian-Pacific market.

EABA leaders said the alliance has been admitting members including multinational groups in finance, logistics, automation, agriculture, oil and gas, and healthcare, noting that these are the fields that Vietnam has the most potential for cooperation.

They affirmed their intention to promote the trade and investment partnership between ASEAN and the EU, and support the prompt signing of the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement, in order to create new momentum for Vietnam-EU economic collaboration.

During his reception for leaders of the Netherlands-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (NVCC), PM Phuc recognised the active role of the NVCC in supporting the cooperation between Vietnamese and Dutch companies.

He proposed that the NVCC, along with the Netherlands’ business community, push for the timely signing and implementation of the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement, as it will have strong impacts on the two countries’ trade relations.

The PM also sought NVCC’s help in encouraging Dutch firms to increase trade, investment and tourism cooperation with Vietnam via arranging delegation exchanges and fact-finding tours.

NVCC leaders pledged to work harder in connecting the business communities of the two countries.

(Source: NDO)