On the occasion of the visit of the Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Katarzyna Kacpercryk accompanied by the delegation of 50 Polish businesses to Vietnam from 10 to14 June 2014, the Embassy of Poland in cooperation with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) held "Vietnam - Poland Economic Forum” in Hanoi. The forum is aimed at promoting and strengthening economic and trade ties between the two countries, commensurate with the level of development in the current period.
The Polish businesses are mainly involved in finance, insurance, ports, information technology, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, food, sweets, beverages, high technology, electricity - energy, renewable energy, technology and environment treatment equipment, rail transport and roads, mining, cosmetics and consulting.
According to Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Katarzyna Kacpercryk, Polish enterprises coming to Vietnam this time wished to not only expand trade relations with Vietnamese counterparts, but also look for opportunities to invest in Vietnam.
Deputy Minister said that Polish enterprises have strengths in the field of agro-processing, food, etc. and at the same time operate effectively in areas such as mining, mining equipment supply, infrastructure development especially transport infrastructure, production and supply of medicine and medical devices.
According to Katarzyna Kacpercryk, Vietnam is an investment destination that Polish enterprises are heading towards. The Polish government always attaches great importance to Vietnam in its foreign policy, and appreciates political and economic relations with Vietnam. In particular, economics is considered the foundation of the relations between the two countries which needs more dialogue or commitment to be developed.
Ms Monika Piatkowska, Vice President of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, said that the Polish enterprises coming to Vietnam this time are the best in Poland. They hope for business cooperation between the two countries and that the two countries will make joint initiative for both parties to understand and cooperate with each other in substance.
According to Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa, for the last 60 years, the multifaceted relations between Vietnam and Poland have developed quite strongly, but still are not commensurate with the potential of the two countries, especially in the field of economy.
Poland is the 6th largest economy in Europe with GDP growth expected at around 3 percent in 2015. According to statistics, in 2011, two-way trade turnover between Poland and Vietnam reached US$570 million, down to US$490 million and a record reduction of US$370 million in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
In terms of investment, as of December 2013, Poland had 10 FDI projects and a total registered capital ranked 40th in the all countries and territories investing in Vietnam, mainly in the fields of real estate, manufacturing and processing, information and communication. Vietnamese enterprises have three investment projects in Poland with a total capital of US$8.3 million, operating in the field of food processing.
According to Ms Thoa, to promote trade and investment relations between the two countries, in the future, the two sides should strengthen cooperation to open up new potential for cooperation. Currently, Vietnam is calling for investors to promote workforce transformation from agriculture to industry and processing. Meanwhile, Poland is a country with strengths in this area; therefore Vietnam wants Poland to focus on investment in the field of agro-processing and food.
Quynh Anh
Vietnamese
