New British consul general in HCMC, Douglas Barnes has outlined a number of strategic priorities and objectives in different sectors to achieve in the coming years.
Barnes told reporters in HCMC on Wednesday that the strategic priorities and objectives had been set out in four key areas. “During my appointment, I will work… to build relationships with UK and Vietnamese companies across Vietnam, to engage with wider contact network, in the private and public sectors to meet bilateral trade and investment targets set by our governments by 2013,” he said.
Vietnam and UK agreed ambitious join targets to double bilateral trade to US$4 billion and UK investment in Vietnam to US$3 billion by 2013 under the Strategic Partnership the two sides inked in 2010.The British consulate general quoted figures as saying that up to 2011, the value of UK investments in Vietnam was put at US$2.58 billion with some 151 investment licenses.
Last year saw UK’s exports to Vietnam grew by 16% year-on-year to 295 million pounds and Vietnamese exports to this European market jump by 36% to 1.524 billion pounds (some US$2.4 billion).
Barnes believed the trade and investment targets would be achievable in the next two years given the real opportunities in a number of sectors, including oil and gas, agriculture, construction, financial services in Vietnam for UK businesses.
The British consul general said the UK government had identified Vietnam as one of the major emerging markets for its companies to do business and invest. “So we see Vietnam as a key partner,” said Barnes, who is also director of the UK Trade and Investment in Vietnam.
Barnes also unveiled the main strategic objectives and one of which was to persuade more UK companies to consider Vietnam as a market of business opportunities. He explained Vietnam was still seen by UK companies as a market that was still not easy to do business.
“That’s the reality. What I and my team need to do is to present them a more positive picture of the business opportunities that exist here and to encourage them and to support them,” Barnes said.
“There are some very successful UK companies already operating here, and we will work with them to encourage others to come in, both in terms of trade and investment”, he added.
Barnes said the Strategic Partnership was a foundation for enhancing the level of bilateral relations between the two countries. “We want to establish a stronger, wider and deeper relationship between Britain and Vietnam.”
SGT
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