FORUM CONNECTING OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE ENTREPRENEURS, PROMOTING TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
, 18/02/2022 13:02On the evening of February 14, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) coordinated with the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to hold a “Forum for connecting overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs, promoting trade and investment in the agricultural sector”.
The forum was co-chaired by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, the Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs. The forum also welcomed the participation of leaders of the MARD, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, and representatives of the overseas diplomatic corps, representatives of Departments of Agriculture, Overseas Business Associations, Overseas Intellectual Associations, etc.. Representatives of Center for Vietnam and Southeast Asian Studies also participated in the forum via online platform.
This is the first time the Minister of Agriculture has a direct dialogue on an online platform with overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs from more than 20 countries. The forum introduced overseas Vietnamese to the priority orientations for investment attraction and business cooperation in the field of agricultural and forestry products as well as potential of OCOP products.
At the opening ceremony, MARD’s Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam emphasized that Vietnam's agriculture is gradually transforming in the direction of increasing added value and sustainable development.To implement the above model, the MARD’s Deputy Minister affirmed that, in addition to the efforts of the whole industry, each Vietnamese expatriate has become an important bridge to introduce agricultural products of Vietnam to the world. MARD’s Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam also thanked the expatriates for their support and companionship; he also hoped to connect overseas people as a bridge to bring Vietnamese agricultural products to grow and develop comprehensively in the global value chain. The Deputy Minister particularly asked people to help promote the connection of OCOP products under the national program One Commune One Product (OCOP) of Vietnam.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Pham Quang Hieu emphasized that, with the complicated and unpredictable developments of the pandemic over the past two years, the agricultural sector continues to secure its role as a firm pillar of the economy, makes an active contribution to the overall growth of the Vietnamese economy. He expressed his delight at the practical effort of the overseas Vietnamese in the field of agriculture. Additionally, numerous overseas Vietnamese have returned to invest, conduct business, and promote high-tech agricultural goods, therefore increasing productivity, product quality, and creating more jobs for local laborers. Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu affirmed that the Foreign Ministry will continue to promote and implement economic diplomacy and diplomacy for development effectively, collaboration with MARD, local governments, and domestic agencies to promote agricultural exports; and promote the role of companion and support in resolving difficulties and obstacles associated with exporting agricultural products to key markets.
At the forum, entrepreneurs and scientists also presented research and discussed topics such as trade, investment and high-tech application. The participants also listened, exchanged, and adopted the opinion and knowledge of the expatriates in order to promote exports and create favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to invest and conduct business, cooperate with enterprises, farmers and domestic cooperatives; forming a network to connect with overseas Vietnamese in consumption and investment in agricultural products.
Concluding the forum, MARD’s Minister Le Minh Hoan thanked the expatriate community for their enthusiasm towards Vietnamese agricultural goods and farmers. According to the Minister, MARD cannot gather knowledge on the global needs and requirements without the assistance of the expatriate community worldwide. As the result of these entries, the Minister stated that the agriculture industry needs to do something new and stronger; it is critical to quickly integrate the enthusiastic opinions of the expatriate community into the forum, and it is critical to develop new perspectives on countries with modern agriculture by fusing country changes with the enthusiasm and aspirations of expatriates.
The University of Social Sciences and Humanities attaches great importance to the implementation of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program in the series of activities to implement the tasks of the National Target Program for New Rural Development in 2021 of the Central New Rural Coordination Office and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University, Ho Chi Minh City. The program provides a practical environment for students and school staff to apply essential knowledge and skills into life to improve and promote the quality of local products.