With US$400 million in FDI in Vietnam, Denmark currently ranks 22nd among foreign investors in the country, said Danish Ambassador Peter Lysholt Hansen in an interview granted to VOV on the occasion of the Danish Queen visit to Vietnam.

Reporter: We know that during the September visit to Denmark by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, leaders of both countries have agreed to raise two-way trade to US$1 billion and Danish investment in Vietnam to the same amount in the coming years.  What has the Danish government done to realize this plan?

Ambassador: I think the most important thing is our two Prime Ministers had agreed that we should increase trade and Danish investment in Vietnam. The strongest follow-up within a week we will have 70 Danish companies coming to Vietnam together with the Queen, Princess II when they pay an official visit to Vietnam. This is the highest number ever of Danish companies joining on a state visit.  I think it’s clearly showed that there is a strong interest from the Danish side, Danish companies in increasing their trade in Vietnam and also in increasing in investment. During your Prime Minister’s visit to Denmark in September a number of Danish companies agreed and signed contracts with Vietnamese companies which will increase Danish investment. I think if you look at it we will find we are doing quite well but of course, in a final analysis, it’s up to the companies but the importance is up to the companies and both governments facilitate it.  

Reporter: Denmark is a world leader in building seaports, maritime transport, producing beer, and developing environmentally-friendly technologies. How have these areas been invested in Vietnam up to date?

Ambassador: The Vietnamese and Danish governments agreed on a lot of opportunities in many different areas just mentioning a few such as clean technology, renewable energy, airport, marine cooperation, IT, cement and beer. So many areas could result in cooperation. If you find examples, let’s take one area that is the expansion of the Vietnamese port. You may know the Danish companies Maersk A/S is already building a container terminal in Cai Mep in southern Vietnam together with Vinalines and they are planning further investment together with Vinalines in building container terminal. You have Carlsberg which already have strong collaboration and a strong presence in the center and in the north. They are increasing their collaboration with Habeco. These are two of the major investors in Vietnam.

Reporter: Apart from the areas Denmark is strong in, what else are Danish investors interested in Vietnam?

Ambassador: What we hope is that new areas particularly clean technology, and energy efficiency will be something which Vietnam will take up. Because we all have enough applications to try to make this globe much better and reduce climate change. And one way of doing that is certainly to make sure that we do not use so much energy and I can tell you in Denmark, we have, over the last 10 years, managed to increase economic growths without any increase in energy consumption. I’m not saying Vietnam should do the same but I’m saying if you are really conscious you can actually maintain your high economic growths and at the same time reduce the increase in the energy consumption and here Denmark has a lot of expertise, to mention one is wind in Denmark by further leading to produce wind mills. Then I think one thing is quite exciting during Prime Minister Dung‘s visit to Denmark is that a Danish University  agreed to come to Vietnam to see and set up collaboration with Vietnamese universities in order to improve the quality of education in Vietnam.

Reporter: What will the Danish government do to help Vietnamese goods enter the Danish market and help them access the huge markets of the EU and Northern Europe?  

Ambassador: Basically what we are doing is we are providing support for Danish and Vietnamese companies to work together in joint ventures because one of the good things about that is you will transfer technology from Denmark, you will transfer skills also marketing skills which will put Vietnamese companies in a position where Vietnamese companies really can access the Denmark’s market. I see one of the big challenges, generally speaking, for Vietnamese companies are they lack knowledge of international market and how to market their products. So this is the major activity we have been supporting Vietnamese companies to access the Denmark market. Of course we are free trade in Denmark and don’t believe in restriction so we advocate within the European Union but there should be no restrictions. We know you have problems with footwear which face some restrictions introduced by the EU, we are not in favour of that./.

(Interviewer: Bao Tram, VOV5 reporter)