Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) welcomes Mike Spanos, CEO of the Asia, Middle East, and North Africa unit of the US-based PepsiCo, Inc. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc hosted receptions for Mike Spanos, CEO of the Asia, Middle East, andNorth Africa unit of the US-based PepsiCo, Inc.; and Sarath Ratanavadi, founderand CEO of Thailand’s Gulf Energy Development, in Hanoi on August 14.
The PM congratulated PepsiCo – an Americanmultinational food, snack, and beverage corporation – on its successfuloperations in Vietnam in recent times.
He spoke highly of the cooperation betweenPepsiCo Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development by their foundinga public-private partnership group on fruits and vegetables in 2010.
This helped create a sustainable supply chainbased on collaboration, promoting trade development, as well as opening upopportunities to raise living standards for hundreds of farm households –contributing to the sustainable development of cultivation in Vietnam.
PM Phuc hailed the US firm for expanding itscultivation area of potato in Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Lam Dong from55 hectares to over 450ha, while also supporting farmers with cultivationskills that can help them increase their output three times the average level.
He expressed hope that PepsiCo Vietnam will continueto study processing in order to create high added-value products made fromartichoke, a specialty in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat, and bring itsproducts to the company’s distribution chains.
The leader suggested PepsiCo expand cooperationwith the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Vietnamese farmhouseholds to create new products that make use of Vietnam’s natural advantages,such as with potato, artichoke, and tea.
Spanos said Vietnam is one of the company’s top20 priority markets across the globe, and eighth in the Asian-Middle Eastern-NorthAfrican region.
PepsiCo has invested over 500 million USD inVietnam over the past five years, attracting about 3,000 workers. It is currently implementing cooperation programmes withVietnamese farmers and supporting over 580 farm households.
The company is keen to do long-term business inVietnam in the field of food and beverages, among others, the official said.
While receiving Sarath Ratanavadi, PM Phuc reaffirmedthe Vietnamese Government has always created the best conditions for foreignbusinesses to invest in the country. This is one of the reasons why many Thaifirms have chosen to enter the Vietnamese market, which currently operate 492projects worth 10 billion USD, he noted.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Sarath Ratanavadi, founder and CEO of Thailand’s Gulf Energy Development (Photo: VNA)The PM underlined Vietnam’s policy of discouraginginvestment in coal-fired thermal power generation, but welcoming investment inrenewable and clean energy.
Vietnam needs more abundant energy to meet thecountry’s economic development, he said, adding that this is a good opportunityfor the Thai company.
Sarath Ratanavadi said his business has startedto invest in Vietnam through a solar power project with a capacity of 100MW.
The company plans to continue investing in thefield of energy to increase electricity for Vietnam, as well as draw moreinvestors, he said, adding that it is also able to provide water for theindustrial sector. –VNA
VNA
