More than 300 overseas Vietnamese (OV) businesses and diplomatic missions in Europe, and trade counselors from various regional countries attended the eighth Viet Nam Business Forum in Rome last week.— VNA/VNS Photo Ta Quang Thanh

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — More than 300 overseas Vietnamese (OV) businesses and diplomatic missions in Europe, and trade counselors from various regional countries attended the eighth Viet Nam Business Forum in Rome last week.

According to Pham Van Hong, head of the organising board of the three-day business forum, which ended on Sunday, the event aimed to draw up an orientation outline for the Vietnamese business community in Europe to overcome the challenges brought by the regional financial and economic crisis.

Through various activities at the event, businesses had opportunities to meet and discuss measures to boost their stable and sustainable development, he said.

At the same time, they also shared experiences in grasping opportunities for expanding their operations in European countries, said Hong.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Hoang Long said supporting the strong connectivity of the Vietnamese business community abroad is one of the country's focus areas.

He said he hoped the development of OV businesses in the region would help promote Viet Nam's trademarks and fuel economic growth at home.

The event took place in the context of a European recession that has dramatically affected the operations of the Vietnamese business community there.

Hoang Manh Hue, a businessman in Poland, pointed out the need for the Vietnamese business community to further consolidate their solidarity in the context of the gloomy global economy.

Participants at the event also voiced the difficulties that they are facing, including the tension in the Russia-Ukraine relations, as well as the poor linkage in the Vietnamese business community abroad.

They also discussed opportunities and challenges generated by the Viet Nam-EU free-trade agreement, which is expected to be concluded this year. The next forum will be held in Bulgaria in 2015. — VNS