Seeks new investment:
Vietnam PM pledges economic reform
JAPAN: Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung promised
Thursday to push economic reforms and invited more foreign investment as
Hanoi tries to limit the global slump’s impact on the communist country.
Addressing a private economic forum in Tokyo, Dung also called for
further aid and investment from regional powerhouses, particularly
China, India, Japan, South Korea and Australia, to sustain growth in the
rest of Asia.
He urged regional nations to continue coordinating their economic
stimulus measures and boost trade and investment to maintain regional
strength.
“Deeper regional integration and increased intra-regional linkages at
different levels will be the key for Asia to be not only the first
continent to overcome this crisis, but also to maintain its position as
the world’s most important economic locomotive,” he said, speaking
through a translator.
Although Asian nations, many of which rely on exports to the United
States and Europe for growth, have been hit by the global financial
crisis, intra-regional trade had softened its impact, he said.
Dung added that Vietnam would continue to restructure its economy,
promote infrastructure programmes, push for administrative reforms, and
put more emphasis on environmental protection.
In Vietnam, “we believe that the current crisis is... an opportunity
to speed up restructuring, improve management and build the foundation
for sustainable development,” he said.
Vietnam enjoyed 3.1 percent growth in the first quarter and expects
five percent growth this year despite the global crisis, he said.
Despite the downturn, he said: “We believe that Vietnam will still be
a dynamic economy and a reliable destination for investors.” Tokyo,
Thursday, AFP |