During the meeting, Paul Le briefed the Deputy Minister on preparations for the 8th Vietnam Goods Week in Thailand, which is scheduled to take place in mid-September 2026 at CentralWorld shopping centre in Bangkok. The annual trade promotion event aims to showcase the image, brand and quality of Vietnamese products to Thai consumers while creating opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to expand their distribution networks in the Thai market.

Central Retail also updated the Deputy Minister on its continued partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in organising Vietnam International Sourcing 2026 (VIS 2026), which will be held from September 3 to 5, 2026 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Through the event, Central Retail will participate in business matching activities, identify new sources of supply and promote the inclusion of Vietnamese products in the Group's distribution network as well as international markets.

These are two flagship trade promotion programmes under the cooperation framework between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Central Retail. They are expected to strengthen the promotion of Vietnamese products, support businesses in expanding export markets and enhance connections with international buyers.

At the meeting, Paul Le also shared Central Retail's long-term development strategy in Vietnam under the vision of "For a Better Vietnam." Accordingly, the Group will continue expanding its investment and developing modern shopping malls and supermarket networks across the country. These efforts will contribute to modernising Vietnam's commercial infrastructure, creating more employment opportunities and helping farmers, cooperatives and Vietnamese enterprises bring their products into Central Retail's distribution system, thereby enhancing the value and competitiveness of Vietnamese goods in both domestic and international markets.

Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang highly appreciated Central Retail's contributions in working alongside the Ministry of Industry and Trade to implement trade promotion programmes and expand market access for Vietnamese products. She encouraged the Group to continue exploring new initiatives to promote and build international brands for Vietnam's key products. The Deputy Minister expressed confidence that the two sides would continue their close cooperation to successfully organise the 8th Vietnam Goods Week in Thailand and Vietnam International Sourcing 2026, thereby contributing to export growth, enhancing the global profile of Vietnamese products and strengthening economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and its international partners.