Nearly 100 overseas Vietnamese businesspeople gathered at a forum in Melbourne, Australia, on June 28 to explore investment opportunities in Viet Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu said his working trip to Australia from June 25 to 29 aimed to popularise the Party, State and Government's incentives designed for overseas Vietnamese businesses in order to encourage them to invest in the homeland.

He highlighted the extensive integration of Viet Nam in the global economy, saying the country was likely to be one of the earliest members to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement - the world's largest free trade pact.

Additionally, Viet Nam is engaging in negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) between the ASEAN and its six partners, including Australia and New Zealand, which is expected to open up more opportunities for Australian-based businesses, including those run by overseas Vietnamese, he said.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Luong Thanh Nghi underlined the growing friendship and diplomatic ties between the two countries forged over the past four decades, especially in the fields of the economy, trade and investment.

He noted that Viet Nam was one of the top 15 trade partners of Australia and that both countries were signatories to the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, TPP, and RCEP.

The Ambassador said the Vietnamese Trade Office in Australia had conducted a number of activities to bring Vietnamese goods to the market.

Chairman of the Vietnam Business Association in Australia Tran Ba Phuc said the six-year-old association had nearly 300 members, who serve as a bridge to connect overseas Vietnamese and Australian business with partners at home.

More than 300,000 Vietnamese are living in Australia, mainly in New South Wales and Victoria. — VNS