France investment seminar spotlights Vietnam

Paris (VNA) - Investment opportunity in Vietnam was high on the agenda of a seminar held in France on March 19 jointly by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Rhone-Alps region and the French Business Association in Lyon (MEDEF).

The workshop brought together representatives from numerous local enterprises
operating in the banking, insurance, aviation, tourism, education, training and
sports sectors.

The Minister Counselor of the Vietnamese Embassy in France, Nguyen Van Trung,
briefed the participants on Vietnam 's economic situation in 2008 and its outlook
this year, particularly the government's measures to stimulate the economy amid the
world economic crisis.

A MEDEF legal consultant, lawyer Gerard Ngo, gave an overview on improvements in
Vietnam's legal framework and administrative reforms aimed at attracting more and
satisfying foreign investors.

Ngo assured attendees that there are no legal barriers hindering the flow of foreign
investment, but that the greatest difficulty is competition between foreign
investors.

The Rhone-Alps Chamber of Commerce and Industry and MEDEF in Lyon are planning a
trip to Vietnam in late May where French businesses can explore potential
investment.

Rhone-Alps is a French region that fosters strong ties with Vietnam . Over the
past decade, the region has carried out 15 development and dozens of other projects
to support higher education and has granted numerous scholarships to Vietnamese
students.
The region has also agreed to provide an annual donation of 1 million EUR to
Vietnamese provinces and cities from 2008-2010.-Enditem