Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a meeting with leaders of leading Norwegian groups in Oslo on May 24 (local time) as part of his official visit to the European country.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (third from left, first line)
receives leaders of leading Norwegian groups
 

At the meeting, leaders of the Norwegian groups such as Kongsberg, DVL-GL, Pharmaq, Vard, Jotun and Scatec Solar said that Vietnam is an open and potential market and voiced their hope that the Vietnamese Government will ensure a fair “playing ground” for foreign investors.

Jotun CEO Morten Foyn said his group is planning to build another paint factory in the southern area of Ho Chi Minh City with an investment capital amount of 100 million USD, besides its first in neighbouring Binh Duong province which was constructed in 1997. 

Geir Haoy, President and CEO of Kongsberg Group – a leading technology group in Norway – said that Vietnam is becoming an attractive destination for foreign investors with its rapid and stable growth rate.

He expressed his hope to cooperate with Vietnam in expanding the application of technology in aquaculture and in developing its sea-based economy.

Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar which freshly signed a 500-million-USD investment cooperation deal with Vietnam at the Vietnam-Norway Business Forum, shared that the investment will be poured into a solar power project and wished to build a laboratory in the country to support it in studying, transferring and exporting renewable energy technology to the region.

He believed that Vietnam will issue a new preferential policy on tariffs for those who invest in renewable energy.

For his part, PM Phuc affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to all economic sectors and foreign investors.

Showing his impression at Geir Haoy’s ideas, he said that Vietnam has paid attention to the sea-based economy. He assigned Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh to hold in-depth discussions with the group on this issue.

The government leader stressed that Vietnam always welcomes and is willing to create all favourable conditions for foreign investors, including those from Norway.