Delegation of the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the European Chamber of Commerce in Việt Nam (EuroCham) presents a model of the Airbus aircraft to National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ as gift during their meeting in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — Chairman of the National Assembly Vương Đình Huệ had a working session with a delegation of the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the European Chamber of Commerce in Việt Nam (EuroCham), with representatives from nearly 50 businesses and groups, in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

Managing Director & Regional Head Asia/Pacific at Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg, Jens Ruebbert, and EuroCham Chairman Alain Cany, co-heads of the delegation, said European businesses are interested in the Vietnamese market and consider Việt Nam a leading country and a pioneer in Asia-Pacific, especially Southeast Asia.

Việt Nam holds great potential for development, with a growth rate of over 8 per cent last year, they said, calling the country a destination of investment and trade for nations worldwide.

Cany expressed his hope to assist Việt Nam in realising its net zero emission target by 2050 in terms of policy and law-making, technology transfer and access to capital.

Regarding green transition and the net zero emission target, representatives from the EU firms said they want to study Việt Nam’s strategy and legal framework, and implement offshore wind power and renewable energy projects in the country.

They were also interested in Việt Nam’s incentives towards access to new medicines and modern medical services.

After studying Việt Nam’s support plan for digital transformation and relevant investment activities, the businesses hoped to invest in human resources in the field. They also affirmed their support for ASEAN’s economic integration.

The NA Chairman affirmed that Việt Nam attaches great importance to and wishes to promote relations with the EU – a leading partner in Việt Nam’s foreign policy.

The commemorative summit celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of ASEAN-EU relations was successfully organised in Brussels, Belgium, last December, he said.

Huệ said he hoped the ASEAN-EU Business Council would continue creating a reliable bridge and actively supporting EU businesses and investors to invest in ASEAN in general and the Vietnamese market in particular.

He affirmed that the National Assembly of Việt Nam, in all its decisions including those in the legislation, supreme supervision, and national issues, are all for the sake of rapid and sustainable development, promoting the increasingly proactive and effective integration of Việt Nam into the region and the world.

The NA always puts people and businesses, both domestic and foreign enterprises, at the centre of every decision, he said.

Emphasising that foreign investors’ successes are Việt Nam’s successes, Huệ said that Việt Nam had shifted its focus from attracting FDI to a strategy of cooperation and partnership in foreign investment.

“Việt Nam will continue to implement a consistent policy to improve and enhance the quality of the business and investment environment, and is determined to improve its competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency of its economy,” NA Chair Huệ said.

Appreciating the strong development in trade relations between Việt Nam and the EU, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and global uncertainties, Huệ said that maintaining supply chains, strengthening cooperation with existing markets and expanding new markets are the right choices for countries.

The NA Chairman also shared with EU investors Việt Nam’s socio-economic development achievements in 2022, with important contributions of the National Assembly.

According to the top legislator, the NA's Resolution No. 30/2021/QH15 grants the NA Standing Committee, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the provincial people's councils specific powers to perform the dual task of controlling the pandemic, and boosting socio-economic recovery and development.

The NA's Resolution No. 43/2022/QH15 on fiscal and monetary policies permitted the allocation of funding of up to VNĐ350 trillion to support the implementation of the socio-economic recovery and development programme.

"Thanks to all-round efforts, Việt Nam’s economy has not lost its growth momentum. It is expected to achieve the targets set out for this term and the development goals until 2030 with a vision to 2045 set by the Communist Party of Việt Nam at the 13th National Congress," the NA Chairman said.

For digital transformation and digital economy, Huệ stressed that the digital economy is expected to make up about 20 per cent of the country's GDP by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030, saying the digital economy now has a scale of more than US$50 billion and a growth rate of between 16-18 per cent.

The leader used this occasion to call on European investors to actively engage in the process, contributing to building a digital ecosystem for digital transformation in Việt Nam.

Regarding just energy transition, Huệ said Việt Nam hopes to cooperate with EU firms in mobilising green finance and ensuring interest-cost balance during the transition process.

He suggested EU-ABC and EuroCham encourage remaining countries in the EU to soon ratify the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and remove the “yellow card” imposed on Việt Nam’s seafood, thus benefiting businesses, farmers and consumers of the two sides. — VNS