HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) signed a co-operation agreement with the Federation of Greek Industries (SEV) and the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) in Hà Nội yesterday to tighten co-operation and boost trade between businesses of the two countries.

The agreement was signed at the Việt Nam – Greek Business Forum, which attracted representatives from Vietnamese businesses and 16 leading Greek groups in the fields of food, olive oil production, garments and textiles, real estate investment, energy, electricity and lighting.

Speaking at the forum, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Terens-Nikolaos Quick said Việt Nam and Greece had actively co-operated and supported each other at regional and international multilateral forums such as UN, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the ASEAN-EU.

He said Greece was one of earliest countries to ratify the EU-Việt Nam Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) and supported the early adoption of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Greece wanted Việt Nam to strengthen its relations with the EU and expected to be a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter this region.

Co-operation between the two sides would create strong investment in energy, transport and technology in Việt Nam. In particular, Greece had a lot of experience in the field of industrial technology, infrastructure and shipping, which would support Việt Nam’s development, said Terens.

Deputy Chairman of the VCCI Đoàn Duy Khương said in the context of the difficult  global economic situation, bilateral trade between Việt Nam and Greece had made encouraging progress, increasing steadily from US$196 million in 2015 to $335 million in 2017. However, it did not reflect the true potential of both countries.

“Việt Nam is now considered a dynamic developing economy in Southeast Asia, becoming an attractive destination for foreign investors. Việt Nam has strong export potential for agricultural products, textiles, leather and footwear. It has become one of the most attractive consumer markets in the world,” said Khương.

Khương said Việt Nam had also made a number of achievements in economic reform, improving the business investment environment, and perfecting the legal and institutional system, in addition to simplifying transparent administrative procedures.

The country has also co-operated extensively with key partners and ratified 10 bilateral and multilateral FTAs with regional and international partners. About 60 economies have been negotiating FTAs ​​with Việt Nam, including key trade partners that account for about 90 per cent of Việt Nam’s trade turnover.

He said Greece had a developed manufacturing industry, especially the shipping industry, which was developing at the top of the world.

"Việt Nam and Greece want to seek co-operation opportunities in this area. We are currently in the process of negotiating the signing of a co-operation agreement on maritime transport. If we can secure this deal it will become a great driving force in boosting economic relations between the two countries."

“It’s a ‘golden time for Việt Nam and Greece to tighten co-operation to bring their traditional relationship to a new height, especially in economy, trade and investment. The two sides need to step up exchanges and trade and develop potential areas such as maritime transport and logistics, shipbuilding, seaport exploitation, tourism and agro-processing,” he said.

In order to reach the target, Khương stressed that the governments of the two countries would help businesses promote trade, but businesses must also try to develop their operations. — VNS