Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with a delegation of the Japan Business Federation (KEIDANREN) in Ha Noi on Friday.

The host leader spoke highly of KEIDANREN’s role in the Viet Nam-Japan extensive strategic partnership, along with the role of the federation’s Japan-Viet Nam Economic Committee in enhancing the two countries’ economic, trade and investment cooperation.

The Vietnamese Government and people attached importance to the development of ties with Japan and pledged to work to boost the strong and sustainable development of this relationship, he said, expressing his hope that Japan would soon become the biggest investor in Viet Nam.

Kuniharu Nakamura, Co-Chairman of the Japan-Viet Nam Economic Committee, said that Japanese businesses view the Vietnamese market as important, with significant consumption strength. The two countries boast strong trade ties at present.

Viet Nam should improve its business climate and reinforce the bilateral economic partnership, he added.

Hideo Ichikawa, who co-chairs the committee, said Viet Nam needed to further develop infrastructure, such as railways and roads, in order to attract investment and improve the overall business climate.

Japanese companies were interested in infrastructure projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) model in Viet Nam, he noted, asking the Vietnamese Government to remove obstacles facing Japanese firms.

PM Phuc said he hoped Japanese enterprises would pay attention to environmental issues when investing in Viet Nam. He also asked Japan to assist Viet Nam to develop infrastructure, especially in transport, as it is currently a bottleneck in Viet Nam’s economy.

Viet Nam wants Japanese businesses to invest more in the country. They are very successful in Viet Nam, which is partly attributable to the work of KEIDANREN, according to the Prime Minister.

At the meeting, PM Phuc also answered Japanese businesses representatives’ questions about local mechanisms and policies. — VNS