Vietnam: a tailor-made market for Belgian companies

Transcription

1 Press release Economic mission to Vietnam: March /05/ :00 Vietnam: a tailor-made market for Belgian companies PARTICIPANTS During the first mission of the year, the Belgian delegation travelled to one of the most dynamic economies in Southeast Asia, i.e. Vietnam. HRH Prince Philippe was accompanied by Mr Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs in Hanoi while Mr Armand De Decker, Minister of State, took over this task in Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh City. Our regional ministers were also in attendance: Kris Peeters, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders and Flemish Minister for Economy, Foreign Policy, Agriculture and Rural Policy, travelled to Hanoi whereas Jean-Claude Marcourt, Vice-Minister President of the Government of Wallonia and Walloon Minister of Economy, SMEs, Foreign Trade, New Technologies and Minister of Higher Education of the Brussels-Wallonia Federations, competent for Employment, Economy, Foreign trade and Scientific research, were present Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. HRH Princess Mathilde honoured this mission with her presence. Vietnam captured the attention of the business world because no fewer than 117 companies, Chambers of Commerce and professional associations as well as 15 universities and nonuniversity colleges also attended. The number of participants (including public officials and members of the press) was 301. OFFICIAL CONTACTS A large number of official contacts at the highest level took place during the mission: - President Trương Tấn Sang - Vice President Nguyễn Thị Doan - Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng - Minister of Science and Technology Nguyễn Quân - Minister of Planning and Investment Bùi Quang Vinh - Minister of Transport Đinh La Thăng - Minister of Finance Vương Đình Huệ

2 - Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến - Minister of Construction HE Trịnh Đình Dũng - Minister of Education and Training HE Phạm Vũ Luận - Chairman of the Hai Phong People s Committee HE Dương Anh Điền - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh People s Committee HE Lê Hoàng Quân CITIES & KEY SECTORS A mission to Vietnam always includes meetings in Hanoi, the capital, and in Ho Chi Minh, the country s economic centre. In view of the important Belgian interests, a visit to Haiphong was also included on the programme. Moreover, Minister Jean-Claude Marcourt visited Đà Nẵng in central Vietnam. In view of the priorities of the country s most recent development plan ( ) and the expertise of our companies to capitalise on this, the emphasis was placed on the following themes during this visit: - Infrastructure, port development and logistics - Green technology (water and waste water treatment) - Healthcare - Agro-industry and aquaculture - Space technology ACTIVITIES - A working breakfast on How to do business in Vietnam: legal aspects, organised by AWEX, BIE, FIT and the ONDD. - A conference on Belgian knowhow in Port Development, Transport Infrastructure & Logistics, organised by FIT, AWEX and BIE. - An academic session on Space for Knowledge, Services and Humanity - Future Perspectives, organised by the Belgian Embassy together with Wallonie Espace and VITO. - A power lunch in the presence of Belgian CEOs and Vietnamese state companies. - An official dinner hosted by the Vietnamese government in the presence of several Belgian and Vietnamese CEOs.

3 - A conference on Human and Economic Development: technology transfer offices as key players, organised by WBI and AWEX together with the Vietnamese Academy of Science & Technology (VAST). - A conference on Belgian knowhow in the field of (waste) water treatment, organised by BIE, AWEX and FIT. - The organisation of a Belgium Education Forum by the Belgian Embassy, together with WBI, CIRI and VLIR. - A working visit to Dinh Vu Industrial Zone, followed by a matchmaking meeting between the Belgian delegation (port and logistics) and companies from Haiphong. - Minister Jean-Claude Marcourt s contacts in Đà Nẵng included a visit to the city s port infrastructure and activities with the University of Đà Nẵng, where ULg University signed an MOU on transport and logistics. - An information session in the form of a working breakfast on distribution and retailing, organised by AWEX and Beluxcham. - A conference on Agro Food & Aquaculture Technologies, organised by AWEX and FIT. - A conference on Affordable quality healthcare for all - a Belgian experience, organised by Healthcare Belgium together with AWEX. - A workshop on Multi-stakeholder Development Cooperation, organised by the Province of East Flanders. - A working meeting on aquaculture and horticulture with special attention to the existing collaboration between the universities of Can ho, UGent, KUL, ULg, FUNDP and the Provinces of East Flanders, Lâm Đồng and Sóc Trăng. - The Beluxcham Awards ceremony. - Working meeting and visits to Sawaco (Saigon Water Company) and Grand-Place.

4 SIGNED CONTRACTS A number of intergovernmental agreements were signed during the mission to Vietnam, among others regarding double taxation and cooperation in terms of public finance and space technology. At the same time some thirty agreements were signed in Hanoi as well as Ho Chi Minh City. The majority of the contracts were of a commercial nature, but there were also contracts of a more academic and scientific nature (KU Leuven, UGent, Arteveldehogeschool, Province of East Flanders, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Université de Liège and FUNDP), which added a special dimension to this economic mission. Besides, commercial agreements were signed by, among others, AMB Ecosteryl, Balteau, Belourthe, Belgian Vietnamese Alliance, CCIBV, CFE-Ecotech, Dinh Vu Industrial Zone (DVIZ), Dredging International, Grand-Place Group, Inve Aquaculture, Ion Beam Applications, Methis Environmental, OCS, Partyspace, Puratos, Rent a Port, Snecma Services Brussels, Spacebel, VB- FoodNet and VK Architects & Engineers.

5 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Participant s brochure Vietnam (PDF, 3.11 MB) (English version) Participant s brochure Vietnam (PDF, 3.96 MB) (Vietnamese version) COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT Christelle Charlier Deputy Director Studies, Statistics and Communication Christelle.Charlier@abh-ace.be Kathleen Deridder Communications Manager Kathleen.Deridder@abh-ace.be ECONOMIC MISSIONS DEPARTMENT Rosemary Donck Press officer Rosemary.Donck@abh-ace.be Nele Demeulemeester Economic mission coordinator Nele.Demeulemeester@abh-ace.be Patrick Gillard Economic mission coordinator Patrick.Gillard@abh-ace.be Céline Vandermeersch Economic mission coordinator Celine.Vandermeersch@abh-ace.be WEBSITES BELGIAN FOREIGN TRADE AGENCY Belgium consists of three autonomous Regions that are committed to the support of their international economic development. The Wallonia Trade & Investment Agency (AWEX) fulfils that role for Wallonia, Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) for Flanders and Brussels Invest & Export (BIE) for the Brussels-Capital Region. The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency is, in its capacity as a public institution, at the disposal of these three Regional authorities that promote exports, and also collaborates with the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs. On the one hand it contributes to organising joint economic missions; while on the other hand it operates as an information centre that deals with the various aspects relating to foreign trade. The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency therefore organises, develops and disseminates documentation (i.e. information for exporters, foreign trade statistics, country reports, sectoral studies, advice on international legislation and regulations, etc.) about domestic and foreign markets as well as bilateral relations. That is how the Agency acts as a vast platform in which the Federal competence of international relations and the Regional competence of foreign trade meet.