Danish Trade Minister Mogens Jensen (left) talks with a student from the Trade University who has been accepted to work for Denmark's Shipco Company after attending a job fair held in Ha Noi recently. — Photo Courtesy of Danish Embassy

HA NOI (Biz Hub ) — Danish businesses are eager to collaborate with Vietnamese companies in the food, climate and energy sectors, Mogens Jensen, the Danish Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation, said on January 20.

The minister made the statement while speaking at the Danish–Vietnamese Business Seminar in Ha Noi.

A delegation of 40 businessmen from the aforementioned sectors is accompanying the Danish minister and is interested in stepping up cooperation with Vietnamese companies during the working visit that will last from Monday to Thursday this week.

The main purpose of the visit is to build a positive partnership and strong commercial relations between Denmark and Viet Nam. The visit's focus is political consultations, which will be followed by meetings on commercial opportunities.

The bilateral trade between Viet Nam and Denmark in 2014 rose by 6.5 per cent year-on-year from US$445 million of 2013, Tran Tuan Anh, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, pointed out.

Out of that figure, Viet Nam's exports to Denmark touched $303 million, surging by 13 per cent.

Viet Nam's main exports to the European Union (EU) country include garments and textiles, shoes, wood, as well as metal and electric products.

Meanwhile, Denmark is currently the third largest exporting country to Viet Nam among the EU countries (measured per capita).

Currently, more than 130 Danish companies are doing business in the country. Their main focus is the following sectors: furniture and textiles, energy efficiency and environment (clean technology), information, communication and technology (ICT), along with electronics and software, transport and logistics (maritime), food and food safety, and health.

During the 2014 to 2015 period, Denmark disbursed up to $90 million in Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Viet Nam. The main recipients of Danish support to Viet Nam were green growth, climate change, private sector development, along with water and sanitation, culture and governance activities.

Thomas Bustrup, Deputy Director General of the Confederation of Danish Industry, spoke highly of his country's close cooperation with Viet Nam, saying that the impending Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will mark a new milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries.

Representatives from the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (Petro Vietnam) and Haldor Topsoe of Denmark sign an memorandum of understanding in the field of oil and gas processing. — Photo Courtesy of Danish Embassy

The export turnover of Denmark to Viet Nam is higher than the average turnover of 15 countries in the EU block. Therefore, Bustrup expressed the hope that the current working visit will go a long way to support trade activities and boost bilateral trade.

Three contracts were also signed during the seminar, including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on further cooperation in the field of oil and gas processing between Danish Haldor Topsoe and Petro Vietnam (PVN).

A contract for the sale of pig housing equipment between Danish Vissing AgroA/S and Vietnamese Sun Group and another for the sale of breeding pigs between Danish Danbred and Vietnamese Dabaco Group were also signed. — VNS