Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình on Friday encouraged enterprises from Việt Nam and Poland to prepare investment plans in fields of mutual interests, such as the environment, agriculture, and food processing. –VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Thắng

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình on Friday encouraged enterprises from Việt Nam and Poland to prepare investment plans in fields of mutual interests, such as the environment, agriculture, and food processing.

Bình believes this will help to take advantage of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) which will be signed soon.

In his speech at the Việt Nam-Poland Economic Co-operation seminar held as part of his visit to the Central European country, Bình underlined that the Government encouraged Vietnamese firms to land investment in the fields of IT and consumption goods in Poland to break into Polish and other European markets.

He stressed on the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries, adding that Poland is currently the largest trade partner of Việt Nam in Central Europe, with two-way trade hitting a record of US$1.05 billion in 2017.

"There are already many Vietnamese businesses carrying out projects in Poland," he said.

The most noteworthy, worth $3 million, is invested by dairy giant Vinamilk.

Regarding the Vietnamese economic situation, he said the economy grew 6.81 per cent in 2017, the highest level recorded during the 2011-17 period.

Bình also introduced Việt Nam’s favourable business climate, potential, international integration, and modern-day reform progress in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the seminar.

Polish participants and businesses expressed their impression at Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievement over the past few years.

They said they were interested in investment opportunities in Việt Nam, while speaking highly of Việt Nam’s important position in their business network in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific.

They lauded concerted efforts made by the Vietnamese Government in creating a welcoming business and investment environment and affirmed their determination to expand business in the country to capitalise on opportunities brought by the EVFTA.

Meanwhile, representatives from some Polish universities said they wanted to enhance student exchanges, and recommended that Polish authorities create favourable conditions for Vietnamese students wanting to pursue studies in the country. -VNS