HÀ NỘI Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc welcomed the opening of an office of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO) in Việt Nam and urged Austrian firms to invest in the country.

Receiving WKO President Harald Mahrer in Hà Nội on Tuesday, the PM said Austria is an important and trusted partner of Việt Nam and called on the two countries to bolster bilateral trade and investment ties.

He remarked that Austrian investment in Việt Nam was still modest, expressing his hope that the WKO office in Việt Nam would help promote the flow of investment between the two countries.

PM Phúc said Austrian firms should act quickly to seize the opportunities brought about by the EU-Việt Nam free trade agreement. He suggested they invest in Việt Nam in the fields of processing, metallurgy, manufacturing, e-commerce, textiles, glass, banking and insurance.

Mahrer said he appreciated the support of the Việt Nam Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Vietnamese agencies in opening the WKO office. The office would provide an important foundation for enhancing ties between the business communities of the two countries, he said.

According to the WKO president, representatives of about 50 Austrian firms accompanied him on the trip to Việt Nam with the purpose of studying business and investment opportunities in the country. VNS