At the workshop, former UK Ambassador to Vietnam and Acting Chairmanof Locate in Kent Warwick Morris highlighted Vietnam ’s potentialthat he witnessed during his term of office from 2000 to 2003.
He stressed the country’s high economic growth and described it as one of emerging economies in Asia .
VietnameseDeputy Minister of Trade and Investment Ho Thi Kim Thoa, who co-chairedJET CO-6 in London on September 8, briefed UK investors ondevelopments in the bilateral relations, particularly economic and tradecooperation, since the two countries signed a Strategic PartnershipAgreement in September 2010.
Trade turnover between the twocountries rose by an average 20 percent a year and surpassed 3 billionUSD in 2011, of which Vietnam exported goods worth 2.4 billion USDor 2.5 percent of the country’s total export value.
The SoutheastAsian nation imported machineries, pharmaceuticals, chemical productsand steel worth 645 million USD from the UK , accounting for 8.3percent of Vietnam ’s imports from the European Union.
In thefirst nine months of this year, two-way trade turnover between the twocountries reached 2.5 billion USD, Thoa said, adding that she expectsthe figure would increase in this year.
The Deputy Ministerinformed the participants of the JET CO-6’s outcomes, saying that bothsides will propose both governments further create conditions forbusinesses.
She urged both countries’ businesses not to missopportunities for investment, now that Vietnam and the EU haverecently launched negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which isexpected to facilitate economic, investment and trade ties betweenVietnam and EU in general and between Vietnam and the UK inparticular.
Deputy Director of the UKTI in Vietnam Pie Cravenalso said Vietnam is a potential investment destination for UKinvestors, with such advantages as the high economic growth and a young,skilled and dynamic population. The country has an ideal strategicallygeographical position in Asia , he added.
Earlier, a similarevent was held by the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in Manchester .In September, the Lord Mayor of the City of London visited Vietnamto study the market. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry isalso arranging a trade mission to Vietnam next week.-VNA