Dr Doan Duy Khuong, Executive Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) hosted a reception meeting with Mr Chady Joseph Issa, Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Lebanon, during his official visit to Vietnam. The meeting opened up numerous opportunities for investment and trade cooperation between the two countries.
On the sideline of the meeting, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Chady Joseph Issa on specific cooperation plans for the upcoming time. Thu Ha reports.
Why do you accept to be honorary consul of Vietnam in Lebanon?
Vietnam is a country that I always admired its glorious history and culture and looked up to its hard working, striving and defiant People. In addition, I believe that I have a great deal to offer in building and strengthening the cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economics and trade and exploring the open fields of opportunities between the two countries.
I feel honoured, humbled, and privileged all at the same time that I’ve been accorded the trust and responsibility to be the Honorary consul of Vietnam in Lebanon. Therefore I will work continuously to increase the participation and communication between government officials and business representative from both countries to enhance mutual trust and expand cooperation.
Consulate of Vietnam in Lebanon is one of the most important bridges to expand economic cooperation, trade and culture between the two countries. This also encourages Lebanon’s investors to invest into Vietnam, support business exchanges between the two countries.
How do you assess the cooperation of Vietnam and Lebanon in recent years? In your opinion, what sectors could be strong fields in the cooperation between the two countries?
Due to the absence of local diplomatic and consular representations between Vietnam and Lebanon for many years, Lebanese importers and investors went in different directions in order to satisfy their needs, which explains the nominal trade between the two countries in comparison with other major current trading partners with Lebanon as China, the USA, South Korea and Japan.
If we enhance the trust and increase the communication between government officials and business representative from both countries, I am certain that most of the Vietnamese sector can be of interest for the Lebanese market and Investors, especially in the areas of agricultural, marine, textile and electronic products on one hand and in Investing in Vietnam tourism industry on the other hand. Lebanon’s strategic geographical location on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and excellent overseas network of business communities make it an excellent gateway to the Middle East for new exporters to the region.
Could you talk about the main advantages and difficulties in cooperation with Vietnam?
My recent visit with the officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Trade and with various manufacturing companies and traders in different Vietnamese sectors, in addition to the full cooperation of the Vietnamese Embassy in UAE with us since my appointment, have given me strong belief that the Vietnamese are eager and ready to expand the cooperation with Lebanon, knowing that Vietnamese products are extremely competitive in price and superior in quality when compared with many exporters to Lebanon.
However, most Lebanese traders have had long-term relationships in business with other countries competing with Vietnam, lack knowledge about Vietnamese products, laws and customs, and face difficulty getting information about Vietnamese industries and production sources. Therefore we will work hard to educate the Lebanese businessmen and promote the Vietnamese products and trade laws in Lebanon to overcome these obstacles.
As Honorary Consul, what will you do to promote cooperation between Vietnam- Lebanon in the time to come?
As Honorary Consul, I’m working on all levels to improve economic ties between the two countries and protect the interest of Vietnamese in Lebanon. The location of the Vietnamese consulate in Beirut was carefully chosen in one of the most important areas of the commercial district of the capital, and supported by a team of qualified and experienced personnel.
The consulate is in contact with numerous relevant authorities in both public and private sector in order to promote Vietnam’s different sectors. A reception dinner was recently organized and attended by diplomats, officials, and business representative from different sectors in the process of promoting Vietnam in Lebanon on different levels. Also at this time we are currently putting together a large delegation representing potential investors and importers of different type of goods and products, bankers and travel agents to soon visit Vietnam to expand the cooperation between the two countries.
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