Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that the visit on March 19 of a large Dutch business delegation reinforces the progress made during his 2022 visit to the Netherlands and the reciprocal visit by the Dutch Prime Minister last year.

Ms. Ingrid Thijssen, leading the delegation, expressed admiration for Vietnam's economic achievements and affirmed the commitment of Dutch businesses to support the country's development.

Leaders of major Dutch companies requested the Vietnamese government's continued focus on improving tax policies, visa regulations, and administrative processes. They also proposed the creation of a central point of contact for support, technology transfer, and collaboration in shipbuilding, ports, semiconductor materials, renewable energy, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and supplying materials for social housing construction.

Additionally, these businesses urged Vietnamese companies, particularly in agriculture and food, to prioritize product quality, sustainability, and combating counterfeits. They expressed interest in purchasing directly from farmers to expand opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural exports to the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reaffirmed Vietnam's openness to foreign investment and its commitment to listening to the concerns of international businesses, including those from the Netherlands. He encouraged Dutch companies to fully utilize the opportunities presented by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and work towards a bilateral trade turnover of $15 billion in the near future.

The Prime Minister invited Dutch businesses to explore cooperation in high-tech agriculture, new and renewable energy, semiconductor chips, climate change adaptation, shipbuilding services and technology, ports, and logistics. He also expressed hope that Dutch companies would facilitate deeper participation of Vietnamese enterprises in their value chains.

Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between business and industry associations to promote mutual understanding and connect enterprises for investment and collaboration.

The Netherlands is Vietnam's largest European investor and second-largest trading partner. Their strong diplomatic relationship, established over 50 years ago and elevated to a comprehensive partnership five years ago, serves as a model for Europe-Asia relations. The Netherlands has supported Vietnam's development through programs focused on socio-economic progress, poverty reduction, education, healthcare, climate change mitigation, and pandemic response.