Washington D.C. (VNA) - Anonline discussion took place recently in Washington D.C. to look intopost-COVID-19 investment opportunities throughout ASEAN, with some companiessaying they will soon announce investment and business expansion plans inVietnam.

Held by the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC)and Ernst & Young on July 15, the discussion saw the presence ofrepresentatives from the US Department of State, some ASEAN embassies, and morethan 100 US companies and business associations in industries such as finance,energy, technology, e-commerce, health care, and insurance.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngochighlighted the favourable factors for US investors in Vietnam, including thetwo countries’ flourishing comprehensive partnership, the free trade agreementsVietnam has joined and, especially, its success in fighting COVID-19 and theGovernment’s resolve to attract foreign investment and bolster the country’srole in restructuring global supply chains.

He noted that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucrecently set up a working group to promote foreign investment, adding that thecountry will resume several commercial air routes and facilitate the entry of foreignexperts, investors, and skilled staff.

Vietnam, other regional countries, and the USare scrutinising economic cooperation initiatives, including the EconomicProsperity Network, to encourage joint projects in manufacturing hi-techproducts and developing the digital economy, Ngoc said.

USABC President Alex Feldman and representativesfrom US companies expressed their appreciation of the investment opportunities availablein ASEAN and Vietnam, emphasising the bloc’s important standing in theIndo-Pacific region and that ASEAN has become the fourth largest trade partnerof and the leading investment destination for the US.

US companies said that in the time to come,investors would further consider the Government’s response to external shocks beforemaking investment decisions, and Vietnam’s achievements in controlling COVID-19and boosting economic recovery efforts have been positively assessed by foreigninvestors.

Others proposed that Vietnam and other ASEANcountries continue to improve the business climate, reform administrativeprocedures, enhance transparency, issue concrete support policies forbusinesses, and pay greater attention to human resources and infrastructuredevelopment.

The USABC added that it is ready to coordinatewith Vietnam to successfully organise the Indo-Pacific business forum,scheduled to take place in the country later this year./.