PM attends Mekong-Japan Investment Forum

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the Mekong-Japan Investment Forum which is organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) on the sidelines of the Mekong-Japan Summit, Tokyo, Japan, October 9, 2018 - Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

The Mekong countries agreed on the vision of sustainable, harmonious, balancing, sustainable and inclusive development, he said.

Highlighting the guideline of establishing a government of integrity, creativity, development and action in service of the people and businesses, the PM said that the nation is actively realizing standards of the new free trade agreements. 

Viet Nam gives priority to attracting investment in high technology and developing transport infrastructure, energy, manufacturing industry, high-quality agriculture, finance-banking, health and smart cities, he said, asserting that the Vietnamese Government prefers the quality of projects than the number. 

Comments from the Japanese business have been received and tackled timely, said Mr. Phuc, adding that the Viet Nam Japan Joint Initiative proposed in 2013 has been appraised by the Japanese investors and improved Viet Nam’s investment environment. 

The Initiative has manifested as an effective information channel for Viet Nam’s functional agencies to complete law and policy system and assisted the Japanese investors in particular and the business community in general to join the Government’s policy-making process. 

In 2017, Japan returned to its status as the largest investor in Viet Nam with the total investment capital of US$ 9 billion. The two-way trade value reached more than US$33 billion. 

At present, nearly 4,000 Japan-invested projects have been launched in Viet Nam with the total capital of more than US$ 55 billion, said the PM. 

The Vietnamese Government expects that the Mekong Region in general and Viet Nam in particular will become a reliable destination for Japanese investors, he added. 

Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Cambodian PM Hun Sen, Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith, Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha and Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, representatives of the JETRO and the Japanese Government and more than 600 enterprises from Japan and Mekong nations joined the forum.

The event is meaningful as it connects Governments and businesses, creates connection and enhances practical cooperation for prosperous development of the Mekong Region. 

By Thuy Dung