Prospects for VN-France economic linkages

PM Nguyen Tan Dung made the remarks on September 25 (local time) at a dialogue with France’s leading enterprises during his official tour to the European country.

According Mr. Dung, with the over 90-million population market and the strategic location in Southeast Asia, Viet Nam has joined a large number of FTAs with other countries.

The country is taking part in negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)) and a bilateral FTA with the EU in a bid to expand market, strengthen the supply and value chains in the region and the world, he added.

Viet Nam, said the Government leader, is determined to develop cooperative ties with France and put the relations into reality.

Viet Nam is now home to 13,700 FDI projects worth over US$200 billion. The country also has had around 700 outbound projects valuing around US$12 billion.

The Vietnamese Government has spared no effort to renovate the economy, perfect the legal system, improve the business and investment environment and offer favorable, equal and transparent opportunities for foreign players, underscored PM Dung.

Two-way trade between Viet Nam and France expanded over 270% from US$1.2 billion in 2002 to over US$3.5 billion in 2012. However, the figure yet matches with respective aspirations.

At the event, PM Dung also answered questions raised by French investors relating to Viet Nam’s strategies, plans and priorities on foreign attraction, particularly in the areas of energy, infrastructure construction, and goods distribution as well as its policies on outward investment.  

French representatives said they hoped that Viet Nam would pay more attention to improving the business and investment environment and facilitating French businesses' long-term and efficient operations./.  

By Kim Anh