Vietnam, Netherlands: Creating a sustainable future together

Vice Minister for Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Marten van den Berg, is visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on October 24 and 25. He will be accompanied by 50 business people of 35 Dutch companies. The corporate focus is very much on two sectors: agriculture/agro-food and logistics/aviation.

Photo: Internet

Dutch companies take a keen interest in doing business in Vietnam. Among them are not just renowned big companies such as Damen Schipyards, Royal Boskalis and Royal Haskoning DHV, but also many mid-size companies that start eyeing Vietnam as a potential market and investment destination. So why are the Dutch so enthusiastic about Vietnam? Well, over the past decades, Vietnam has made huge economic strides forward, achieving an average growth of 7 per cent, while also enjoying spectacular success in poverty reduction. In 2007 Vietnam joined the WTO and reached middle income country status in 2010.

Another clear incentive is that the Vietnamese and the Dutch get on very well with each other, regarding each other as reliable long-term business partners who bring something really worthwhile to the table. Equally important, the Netherlands has long developed world-class expertise and capabilities in precisely those sectors Vietnam takes such a strong interest in like agriculture, horticulture and water. This we wish to expand to other sectors like logistics and aviation for which a cluster of 10 aviation related companies will start building partnerships with Vietnamese counterparts.

Vietnam has set itself the objective of evolving into an advanced economy by the year 2035. That huge economic effort will require a great deal of investment, expertise and cooperation in various sectors of the economy – with the Netherlands being a world leader in exactly those areas that Vietnam prioritises. Dutch investors and companies are keen to explore precisely those opportunities where partnerships on equal footing can be built and sustainable inclusive business can be realised.