Delegates visit a photo exhibition on the sidelines of the conference. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment will create all possible conditions for foreign investors, including those from France, to operate effectively and sustainably in Việt Nam, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc has affirmed.

Addressing the 12th Việt Nam-France decentralised cooperation conference, which took place in Hà Nội from April 13-16, Ngọc noted that Việt Nam has launched the national strategy on green growth and stepped up economic restructuring in tandem with growth model reform, environmental sustainability and social equality.

As a result, great potential and opportunities remain for Việt Nam and France to boost their cooperation in the future, she said.

Việt Nam also encourages and prioritises quality, focusing on calling for foreign investments, especially in high-tech, innovation, green energy, renewable energy, finance, banking, healthcare, high-quality personnel training, infrastructure, and pharmaceuticals.

They are the areas where France has strengths, and the two economies would be reciprocal, the official added.

Briefing the participants on Việt Nam’s socio-economic development, Ngọc said it has been named among the top 20 countries in terms of FDI attraction and the 20 biggest economies worldwide.

Regarding the Việt Nam-France relationship, Ngọc called trade, economic and investment ties as pillars of their strategic partnership and traditional friendship.

France ranks 16 out of the 143 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam with more than US$3.8 billion. Their two-way trade reached $5.33 billion last year, of which Việt Nam’s export to the European nation was valued at $3.7 billion.

France is also one of Việt Nam’s first and biggest official development assistance (ODA) suppliers in Europe, she said, stressing that Việt Nam is an active, responsible member of ASEAN and Asia-Pacific, while France is a key member of the European Union, and both are members of the Francophone community and the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

These are important foundations and premises for the two countries to expand cooperation and boost trade and investment ties between the two countries, Ngọc continued.

The official stressed that the 12th Việt Nam-France decentralised cooperation conference has offered effective solutions to raise the role of localities in promoting investment links between the two countries. — VNS