A forum was held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s ForeignInvestment Agency (FIA) and Japan’s IHI Corporation in Hanoi onOctober 8 to introduce Japanese enterprises to Vietnam’s potential forcooperation and development, aiming to forge links between the twocountries’ businesses.

Speaking at the event, IHI CEO TamotsuSaito said his group would cooperate with and support itsVietnamese partners in training while exchanging technology to serveeconomic development in the future.

FIA Director Do Nhat Hoangsaid Japan was now one of Vietnam’s leading trade partners andinvestors, adding that contributions from Japanese businesses viadirectly-invested projects and from the Japanese Government throughofficial development assistance (ODA) helped Vietnam develop itsnational infrastructure system and improve its economic competitiveness.

Japanese investors consider Vietnam an attractive market andleading priority area for investment. Japan has so far implemented 2,410projects worth 36.3 billion USD in Vietnam.

Hoang affirmed theVietnamese Government was boosting its efforts to improve its investmentclimate and legal framework in order to attract more investment,especially foreign direct investment (FDI) projects.

The move wasacknowledged by foreign investors, proven by the increasing number andvalue of foreign-invested projects in the country.

At the forum, participants discussed and shared experiences in investment cooperation.

Establishedin 1889, IHI is an expert in heavy industry, infrastructuredevelopment, transport, industrial manufacturing and power plantconstruction, and provides consultancy services in these fields.

Thegroup invested in several key projects in Vietnam, such as Nhat Tan(Hanoi) and Binh (Hai Phong) bridges, and the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh Cityrailway system upgrade.-VNA