|
French businesses eye Vietnamese market
Vietnam is the obvious choice for French businesses in their investment and development strategies, said Frederic Sanchez, president of the France-Vietnam Business Council of the Movement of the French Enterprises (MEDEF).
Mr Sanchez made the statement at a press briefing in Hanoi on June 10 after a MEDEF delegation comprising nearly 30 French businesses had meetings with key Vietnamese political and economic figures.
He said that MEDEF International wants to promote links between the two countries’ business circles so that they can explore and establish cooperative partnerships.
However, he proposed that Vietnam continue to streamline administrative procedures to attract foreign investors, including those from France.
French ambassador to Vietnam Herve Bolot said that French businesses are interested in providing consultancy and investing in such areas as transport, water supply, environmental protection, energy production, underground and overhead railway line construction, information technology, automation and mechanical engineering in Vietnam.
Vietnam attracts foreign investors because it is one of the countries that has fully met its commitments to the World Trade Organisation, said Mr Bolot.
According to the ambassador, the French government has decided to increase the amount of its ODA to Vietnam from US$280 million to US$380 million this year, of which one third will be used to manufacture small satellites for the Southeast Asian nation.
He said that two-way trade between Vietnam and France is much lower than between Vietnam and Italy or Germany and that the visit by French businesses will help bolster bilateral trade.
The delegation of 27 French enterprises arrived in Vietnam on June 8 for a five-day visit to explore opportunities for investment and business expansion.
Currently 250 French businesses are operating in Vietnam with a combined investment capital of US$2 billion.
VOV
|
