Quang Ninh leader attends “Meet Europe 2021” conference

On Nov. 25, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) co-hosted the "Meet Europe 2021: EU-Vietnam Partnership Post-COVID-19” conference and announced the annual white book of Trade and Investment Issues and Recommendations in Hanoi.

At the conference

Prominent among those were the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

EU representatives included the Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, Giorgio Aliberti, EuroCham Chairman Alain Cany and ambassadors, charities and representatives of 15 diplomatic agencies of European countries, European businesses and corporations operating in Vietnam.

Quang Ninh delegation led by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Bui Van Khang, also attended the meeting.

In her opening remarks, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong thanked the European Union (EU), its member states and EuroCham for donating over 15 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam via COVAX, Team Europe mechanisms, bilateral channels and “Breath Again” campaign launched by EuroCham.
She hailed the EU as one of the leading development cooperation partners, the fifth largest trade partner and the sixth biggest investor of Vietnam. She also described the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) that took effect on August 1, 2020 as a significant milestone in bilateral economic ties, opening up great opportunities for their enterprises.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way trade between Vietnam and the EU still expanded by nearly 20 percent annually, reaching more than 56 billion USD last year.

Hong expressed her belief that once approved, the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) will further deepen bilateral economic and investment ties.
The Vietnamese Government will offer all possible support for EuroCham and its members to invest in fields of Vietnam’s priority with incentives such as information technology, support industry, smart agriculture, environment protection, renewable energy, infrastructure, social welfare, high-quality human resources training, use of science for advanced and effective management, research and development, and innovation, she said.

EuroCham Chairman Alain Cany highlighted that "Meet Europe 2021" was an important event that connects businesses to the Government of Vietnam, proving the efficiency of various cooperation policies between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Business Association in Vietnam.

He suggested European countries and Vietnam make the best use of the EVFTA and hoped that bilateral trade will recover quickly following the pandemic.

Speaking at the conference, Quang Ninh’s Vice Chairman Bui Van Khang underlined the province’s potentials and strengths in diverse sectors, especially its long-lasting tradition of discipline and solidarity among the whole community. Quang Ninh province has effectively implemented a variety of measures against Covid-19 and become the leading locality in the country in terms of safe adaptation, flexibility, and effective control.

Quang Ninh wished to attract more investment in high-tech and eco-friendly projects serving the sustainable development of the province.

The Vice-Chairman welcomed European investors to visit Quang Ninh to comprehend more about its potentials and investment opportunities.

As part of the event, the 13th edition of the White Book debuted while a ceremony to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry and EuroCham was held.