Further Strengthening VCCI-CACCI Cooperation

Recently, in Hanoi, Mr. Pham Tan Cong, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), hosted a meeting with the delegation of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) led by Mr. Peter McMullin.

VCCI President Pham Tan Cong and the CACCI delegation pose for a group photo during their meeting

During the meeting, Mr. Peter McMullin - President of the CACCI, highly appreciated the cooperation and support of VCCI, an active member of the CACCI since 1990. VCCI has successfully organized two conferences of the CACCI, one in 1993 in Hanoi and the other in 2000 in Ho Chi Minh City. VCCI also welcomed two Presidents of the CACCI to Vietnam in 2011 and 2018.

The President of CACCI hoped that, in the coming time, VCCI would continue to actively participate in the Confederation, a network of national chambers of commerce with a total of 28 primary members from 26 independent economies. He emphasized the importance of Vietnam in contributing to the current strong position of CACCI, especially in the development context of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as increasing business cooperation opportunities, thus boosting the economic development of the CACCI member economies and improving GDP growth.

At the meeting, the CACCI President also invited VCCI and business delegations to attend the 37th CACCI Conference to be held on October 30-31, 2023 in Cambodia. This is an annual event of CACCI to bring together enterprises and policy-makers from its member economies in order to discuss hot issues that directly impact business operations in the region, he said.

In particular, Mr. McMullin also suggested that VCCI study the possibility of organizing a conference of CACCI in the near future in Vietnam, as Vietnam is considered an attractive destination for investment and business in the world. Through this conference, CACCI member businesses have the opportunity to learn about economic and investment policies, market opportunities as well as the business environment in Vietnam so they can expand cooperation with Vietnam and other economies in the region.

Mr. McMullin affirmed that CACCI will continue to provide an effective platform and network for cooperation among economies in the region, thereby supporting the Vietnamese business community to access the international market in the future.

VCCI President Pham Tan Cong, for his part, emphasized that Vietnam’s membership in the CACCI so far has brought positive effects to its business community as Vietnam has promoted trade relations with other major economies in the region. VCCI always appreciates the role of CACCI and is an active member of the Confederation.

The VCCI President said that the economy of Vietnam has been developing strongly, with GDP in 2022 reaching 8.2%. Vietnam aims to become a developed country by 2045, so it needs to maintain annual GDP growth of 6% or more. This goal is an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to develop their business and also an opportunity for the CACCI member business community to strengthen trade and investment cooperation.

VCCI President Pham Tan Cong further shared that, in the third quarter of 2023, VCCI will coordinate with the National Assembly Office to organize an investment forum, which introduces policies and opportunities to attract domestic and foreign investment. He hopes that Asian enterprises and CACCI member enterprises will attend this important forum.

Mr. Pham Tan Cong said that VCCI regularly coordinates and supports activities within the framework of CACCI. VCCI highly appreciates the proposal to organize a conference of CACCI in Vietnam, and is ready to cooperate with CACCI to organize this event, he added.

According to VCCI President Pham Tan Cong, the cooperation with CACCI will help Vietnamese enterprises deeply penetrate major markets and quickly access CACCI member businesses operating in the industries of textile, agriculture, tourism, energy, and electronic and information and communication technology.

In particular, the investment in green development and renewable energy is a potential for foreign enterprises in Vietnam, especially in such aspects as technology, equipment and green capital.

“VCCI also wishes for a deeper and broader cooperation between the two sides, especially in training activities to improve international business knowledge for Vietnamese enterprises, as well as the capacity to manage business associations and exchange events between Chambers of Commerce in the region,” VCCI President Pham Tan Cong affirmed.

By Quynh Anh, Vietnam Business Forum