NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim speaks at the working breakfast with the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group on April 1 (Photo: VNA)Paris (VNA) – The NationalAssembly (NA) and Government of Vietnam pledged to continue perfecting thelegal system in order to create favourable conditions for foreign enterprises,including those from France, to operate in the Southeast Asian country, saidthe top lawmaker.
NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan deliveredthe commitment at a working breakfast with the France-Vietnam FriendshipParliamentarians’ Group and representatives of 15 major French businesses inParis on April 1.
Ngan said the Vietnamese NA delegation’songoing visit aims to promote and deepen the Vietnam-France strategic partnership,as well as bilateral legislative ties in particular, helping to enhance themultifaceted cooperation between the two countries with economic-tradecollaboration as the centre.
She highly evaluated France’s policy onstrengthening economic cooperation with Vietnam and hoped that French firmswill expand their business and investment in the Southeast Asian country.
At the working breakfast,representatives of French enterprises such as Air Liquide and Total spokehighly of the Vietnamese market’s potential in energy, especially renewalenergy.
Meanwhile, representatives of otherbusinesses showed their interest in the fields of aviation infrastructuredevelopment, logistics, pharmaceuticals, health care, wholesale market buildingand clean food supply.
In the sphere of energy, arepresentative of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade affirmedVietnam’s support for projects involving French companies, saying the countrywill create all possible conditions so that the projects are implementedeffectively and on schedule.
NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan meets with representatives of French enterprises. (Photo: VNA)A representative of the NA’s Committeefor Legal Affairs said the Vietnamese legislature will continue to further studythe Law on Investment in order to make it easier for investors to participatein projects in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese NA will also amend theLaw on Intellectual Property in May to satisfy conditions of economicintegration, the official added.
Leaders of Vietnamese ministries,agencies and localities talked about investment opportunities and potential inVietnam, particularly in aviation and metro, stressing that French businessesand investors are able to take part in these projects.
They also committed to creating optimalconditions for French businesses and investors to approach master planningschemes to clearly identify their investment plans.
An official of Hanoi city briefed on theprogress of some projects involved in French partners, including a hospitalexclusively for mothers and children, whose construction will begin in May 2019and is expected to be completed in October 2020, a centre of emergency aid incombination with firefighting, and a farm produce wholesale market in Gia Lamdistrict.
In her closing speech, Ngan said theVietnamese NA will work harder to complete laws regarding economic affairs, inline with international practices and integration process Vietnam has committedin free trade agreements (FTAs), thus ensuring transparency, publicity andequality for both domestic and foreign investors.
The Vietnamese Government will create acompetitive, favourable and open investment environment, and carry outintensive and extensive administrative reforms, from the stage of corporateestablishment to customs and tax affairs, she said.
Vietnam is stepping up infrastructuredevelopment and economic investment programmes with high connectivity, towardsa digital economy and smart urban cities, Ngan added.
Along with e-government, the legislaturewill build an e-parliament, she said, noting that the legislative agency willaccompany businesses and investors, helping remove their difficulties.
In an interview granted to French dailynewspaper L’Opinion about Vietnam’s economic prospects, the Vietnamese toplegislator said that the Vietnamese economy will continue its rapid,sustainable and inclusive growth based on a strong domestic market of 95million people with increasing incomes.
The creativity and aspirations for moving ahead of Vietnamese people,especially young people under 35 years old who account for up to 60 percent ofthe population, are considered as momentum for the nation’s developmentprocess, she said.
Besides, Vietnam is renewing its growth model based on renovation andcreativity and digital economic transformation, while encouraging thedevelopment of startups, taking advantages of the Fourth Industrial Revolutionand promoting the private economic sector, Ngan stressed.
The country is also improving its legal frameworks towards a modern marketeconomy in conformity to international standards and commitments innew-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), she said.
With 12 signed FTAs, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement forTrans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) andFTAs with such important markets as ASEAN, China, Japan and Russia, Vietnam hastaken a further step in the global integration process, she underlined.
Regarding the EVFTA’s impacts on Vietnamese trade prospects, the Chairwoman highlightedthe importance of the deal, in terms of both strategy and economy-commerce, asit will open various cooperation opportunities for Vietnam and the EU. Bothsides need to finalise relevant procedures so as to soon sign and ratify thepact, ensuring that it will take effect as soon as possible, she noted.
Regarding Vietnam-France relations, Ngan affirmed that the bilateral ties areenjoying an impetus for further growth, with a line-up of delegation exchangesat all levels and cooperation mechanisms. Particularly, cooperative tiesbetween Vietnamese and French localities have contributed remarkably to thebilateral relations.
According to the top legislator, France has remained a big trade partner and animportant investor of Vietnam, and both countries, as active members of theinternational community, have shared a number of common viewpoints, laying thefoundation for bilateral coordination at international forums and multilateralcooperation mechanisms. Besides, Vietnam and France are pursuing joint effortsfor global peace and stability as well as adaptation to global challenges.
Ngan also affirmed that the Vietnamese community in France in the largest ofits kind in Europe, and they have obtained achievements in various sectorswhile many of them have held important positions in the local and central administrationsof France.
The NA Chairwoman expressed her hope that the Vietnamese community in Francewill make further contributions to both the host nation and their homeland.-VNA
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