Vietnam, Finland target expanded agro-fisheries trade
(VOV) - The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in collaboration with its counterpart in Finland on October 23 launched a project aiming to boost mutually beneficial agro-fisheries cooperation.
Nguyen Tuan Hai, Deputy Head VCCI’s International Relations Department, said the project aims to enhance the capacity for local seafood enterprises and bolster trade and investment ties between Vietnam and the entire Northern European region.
The major activities of the project focus on improved marketing and advertising efforts and stepping up the number of exchanges in hopes of creating more opportunities for businesses to close deals.
The project backed by the Finnish Embassy will concentrate its endeavours in HCM City, Hanoi and the Mekong Delta provinces.
Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Kimmo Lahadevirta said Finland and Vietnam have strengths which complement each other and there is ample opportunity for increased cooperation in water resources, environmental sanitation, forestry, innovations, and support for business start-ups.
In the short-term, Finland is seeking cooperative opportunities to help ensure sustainable development, generate jobs and reduce poverty in Vietnam. At present, some 75 Finnish businesses are investing in Vietnam and the two-way trade volume averages more than EUR200 million per year, Ambassador Lahadevirta said.
Vietnamese key exports to the Finish market are clothing, footwear and fish fillets while the Finnish major exports to Vietnam are hi-tech products like machinery, electronics and modern consumer equipment.
The Ambassador expressed his hope that the Vietnam-EU Free Trade pact expected to come into effect in the near future will contribute greatly to increasing trade and investment between the two nations.