The U.K. targets to raise its direct investments in Vietnam to $3 billion by 2013, the financial website cafef.vn reported, citing a strategic joint clearance recently signed in London.
At the signing ceremony, the U.K. encouraged Vietnam companies to expand their investments in the fields of shoes, garment, wood furniture, agriculture and seafood in the European nation.
The U.K. committed to maintain the leading investor in financial services in the Southeast Asian country and boost investments in insurance services, banking, energy, real estate, telecom and information technology.
The Southeast Asian country, in turn, called on the U.K. government to provide more assistance for its infrastructure projects and encouraged more the U.K. enterprises to participate in the public-private partnership (PPP) form in Vietnam.
Vietnam is the 2nd most attractive destination in Asia for the U.K. firms behind China, Ambassador Mark Kent earlier said, adding that the U.K. expects to become the biggest among European investors in the Southeast Asian country in the coming years.
He revealed that Financial Times magazine, the U.K.’s leading business newspaper, is seeking a lisence to be present in the Southeast Asian country, with the aim to provide a sufficient information chanel for both sides’ businesses.
Companies from the U.K. have to date invested $2.22 billion in 134 projects in Vietnam, ranking the 17
th among investors making direct investment in the Southeast Asian country, the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s figures showed. (
www.mpi.gov.vn)
Vietnamese
