Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on Thursday hosted a reception for FTSE Russell CEO Fiona Bassett who is on a working visit to Viet Nam.

The Prime Minister appreciated FTSE Russell's role in monitoring and assessing Viet Nam's stock market, as well as its support for the development of Viet Nam's stock market toward greater transparency, efficiency and compliance with international standards.

Viet Nam's stock market is expected to officially attain the "Secondary Emerging Market" status under FTSE Russell's classification framework on September 21.

Le highlighted Viet Nam's recent socio-economic achievements, notably its GDP growth of 8.18 percent in the first half of 2026, the highest rate in 15 years.

The Vietnamese Government is resolved to achieve double-digit growth in 2026 and throughout the 2026-2030 period while maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation and ensuring major economic balances, he said.

Achieving these targets requires the mobilization of substantial financial resources, making the development of a deep, broad-based and efficient capital market an urgent task, the Prime Minister noted.

He stressed the need to mobilize resources from the domestic private sector and foreign investors alongside public investment and bank credit, contributing to stronger and more sustainable economic growth.

The Government has implemented a range of reforms to create more favorable conditions for investors, particularly foreign investors, demonstrating its strong commitment to reforming the stock market and building an increasingly open, transparent and efficient investment environment.

He viewed FTSE Russell's decision to upgrade Viet Nam's stock market as objective recognition of the country's development vision, political determination and reform efforts.

The upgrade should be regarded as the starting point for a new phase of development featuring higher quality, greater scale and increased professionalism of Viet Nam's stock market, he stressed.

In the coming period, Viet Nam will focus on sustaining the upgraded market status by ensuring smooth information flows and maintaining regular dialogue with market participants, while establishing transparent and periodic communication channels with FTSE Russell to stay updated on new standards and areas requiring further improvement.

The Government will also ensure the smooth and stable implementation of reforms, accelerate the deployment of the Central Counterparty (CCP) mechanism, and effectively address issues raised by global securities firms and custodians.

At the same time, supervision and support will be strengthened to help listed companies adopt ESG standards, improve information disclosure and transparency, and implement corporate governance practices in line with OECD principles, Le said.

These measures are important to maintaining and attracting capital flows from global investment funds, he added.

The Prime Minister expressed his belief that through cooperation with FTSE Russell and other global partners, Viet Nam's stock market will continue to develop, not only maintaining its upgraded status but also strengthening its position at the regional level.

He asked FTSE Russell to continue monitoring the Vietnamese market and provide objective, accurate and comprehensive assessments reflecting the realities of Viet Nam's economy and capital market.

He also called on FTSE Russell to work closely with the Ministry of Finance, the State Securities Commission and relevant regulatory agencies to recommend practical solutions aimed at building a stock market with greater transparency and efficiency and stronger alignment with international standards.

The Prime Minister called for FTSE Russell's continued support for Viet Nam in developing and actively participating in the stock market and the broader financial market, including initiatives to operate and attract resources to the International Financial Center.

In reply, FTSE Russell CEO Fiona Bassett described Viet Nam as a remarkable growth story in Asia and a long-term partner, expressing the company's wish to further deepen cooperation with the Vietnamese Government and market participants.

She said FTSE Russell's decision to upgrade Viet Nam's stock market reflects the country's commitments, reform efforts and recent achievements, as well as growing investor confidence.

Viet Nam has emerged as one of the most liquid markets in the Asia-Pacific region, with a high level of participation by foreign investors, Bassett noted.

She said FTSE Russell's announcement on the market upgrade, together with an increase of Viet Nam's weighting in the FTSE Emerging All Cap Index by nearly 50 percent, from 0.329 percent to 0.49 percent, could help drive billions of dollars in capital inflows into the Vietnamese stock market.

FTSE Russell is committed to providing comprehensive support for continued development of Viet Nam's capital market, helping the country achieve its strategic objectives, deepen international integration and attract foreign investment, she affirmed.

The company stands ready to work with Viet Nam in implementing its market development roadmap and contribute further to the Southeaset Asian country's growth story, Bassett said.

According to the CEO, FTSE Russell's support will extend beyond market reclassification to include the development of standards and enhancement of market depth, liquidity and resilience; strengthening investor confidence and international participation; raising international awareness of Viet Nam's capital market; modernizing market infrastructure; promoting institutional investors; developing risk-management tools; and supporting the introduction of new market products.