Denmark seeks greater co-operation opportunities with Vietnam

According to Ambassador Ove Ullerup, chairman of Asia House, and Ambassador Susanne Rumohr Hækkerup, managing director of Asia House, the major need for the Danish business community, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is to seek broader co-operation with Asian nations in general.

However, information regarding the investment and business environment, markets, fields, and potential partners in both Vietnam and throughout the region for Danish businesses have remained relatively limited. This is despite having obtained remarkable results in co-operation which is still far from reaching the full potential.

Ambassador Ullerup emphasised that the Danish Government attaches great importance to the role of SMEs, describing them as, “the backbone of the Danish economy." Therefore, expanding the co-operation network between Danish SMEs and Asian businesses, especially in Southeast Asia, will be one of Asia House's primary tasks moving forward.

He noted that currently the nation is increasingly being seen as a magnet for Danish SMEs thanks to the favourable business environment, as well as certain competitive advantages that Danish firms are looking for.

In response, Ambassador Luong Thanh Nghi stated that Asia House has become a special friendship bridge between the two countries, as well as between Danish individuals and organizations, along with the Vietnamese Embassy and Asian embassies based in Copenhagen

The Vietnamese diplomat affirmed the Vietnamese Embassy’s readiness to unite with Asia House for the purpose of connecting both nations’ people and businesses, as well as expanding co-operation fields. This can be seen as a contribution to strengthening the ties of friendship and co-operation between the two countries in a more effective and substantive manner.

During the course of the meeting, the two sides discussed a range of specific co-operation measures and plans between the Vietnamese Embassy in Denmark and Asia House to promote the exchange of delegations at all levels. This is along with launching a range of trade and investment promotion activities and connecting businesses of the two countries in the fields that they boast strengths in.

They consented to work together to propose ideas and initiatives aimed at seeking new co-operation opportunities, thereby making practical contributions to mutual ties in the future.

Asia House, formerly known as East Asia Company (Det Østasiatiske Kompagni), was first established in 1898. Over its long history, Asia House has gradually developed into an independent, non-profit organisation with the aim of intensifying exchanges and co-operation between Denmark and the Asian region, especially in the fields of economy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

The current management board of Asia House consists of numerous former diplomats, as well as prestigious scholars and leaders from Danish corporations.