Danish Ambassador: My impressions of Vietnam

I am very glad to witness the positive changes that have taken place since the end of 2007 when I concluded my four-year term as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam.

The friendliness and hospitality reminds me very much of Denmark and my family and I have been very impressed by the natural beauty of the country and look forward to exploring more of it.

My main challenge will be that of improving commercial trade between Denmark and Vietnam, noted Ambassador Laursen.

Newly appointed Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen at a press conference

Over the past five years, Denmark’s total trade with Vietnam has nearly doubled and I believe there is considerable untapped potential for trade, particularly in light of the EU-Vietnam free trade zone that soon will be realized.go

I also want to support Denmark businesses that want to invest in Vietnam.

However, the most important ties are those that connect people. Under European Union Treaties, Vietnamese are free to work, travel and study across the EU, including in Denmark.

I am glad that a growing number of Vietnamese have chosen to study or work in Denmark. Vietnamese workers are employed in Denmark in a wide assortment of industries.

For Dane’s, Vietnam is increasingly becoming a popular holiday destination.

Cultural links are also extremely important and I have been very impressed by the interest that Vietnamese have shown in Danish music, dance and literature.

The role of the Danish Embassy will be to act as a focus to further encourage the already strong links between our two countries, she underscored.

Vietnam has much to offer to Denmark and Europe. Vietnam’s economy is growing fast. Over the past year, Vietnam has had one of the fastest GDP growth rates in Asia that has been driven by exponential growth in exports.

Denmark has a skilled workforce with a commitment to innovation and is ranked as one of the top countries to do business. It has much to offer Vietnam in terms of green, food safety and clean water technology.

Denmark is also a producer of very high-quality food. I hope to see Danish meat, dairy and fish products in increasing quantities on the retail store shelves throughout Vietnam.

My family and I are eager to explore this beautiful country, the Danish ambassador accentuated.

It is a great privilege to represent Denmark in Vietnam. I have already met many members of the small Danish community in Vietnam and I look forward to meeting as many as possible in my time here.

I also enthusiastically look forward to meeting fascinating Vietnamese people from all walks of life and to getting to know your culture, history and language better.