Dutch businessmen explore potential investment and trade opportunities in Vietnam

The delegation was led by Mark Harbers, The Netherlands Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Christianne van der Wal-Zeggelink, The Netherlands Minister (for Nature and Nitrogen Policy) at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, and Ingrid Thijssen, President of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW).

The economic delegation's visit (from March 18-22) aims to continue maintaining the long-term and effective partnership between the two countries in the future. The delegation's focus areas for promoting cooperation are water tech and management, agri-food and horticulture, and green and smart logistics.

The delegation's program includes meetings between the two Dutch Ministers and Vietnamese partners, business seminars, group discussions, business connection activities, and two important signing ceremonies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Within the framework of the business trip, Dutch businessmen conducted field visits to farms, local businesses, and organizations operating in the fields of agriculture, water, transportation and logistics.

Particularly in Ho Chi Minh City, the delegation had 3 important connection activities on March 21 such as: Mekong Delta Business Forum 2024; Boat tour (to meet experts in the field of water management, seaport development, and urban flood prevention); Connecting program and sustainable fashion show (to introduce collections of Vietnamese designers with designs using natural and recycled materials which are friendly to the environment and climate).

At the Mekong Delta Business Forum 2024, there were panel discussion sessions: Sweet solutions for salty challenges; A digital delta; Connecting the Delta. Vietnamese and Dutch experts discussed the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta, and joined hands to cooperate in finding solutions to challenges as well as seizing potential opportunities of the region.

In recent years joint plans on the Mekong Delta have been developed by the two countries. The Vietnam's Mekong Delta Master Plan launched in 2022 fits excellently in The Vietnam - Netherlands long-lasting bilateral relation. The Netherlands remains committed to partner with Vietnam’s government, private sector, science, and non-governmental organizations to make the implementation of the integrated master plan a success to help the people, economy and nature in the Mekong delta thrive.

In addition to discussion sessions, the forum also has booths displaying agricultural products of the Mekong Delta, as well as introducing current and prospective projects towards a common vision of a prosperous and resilient Mekong Delta.

The forum is an important bridge for Dutch - Vietnamese businesses and organizations to promote products and services. At the same time, businesses can present integrated sustainable development initiatives in the Mekong Delta region, as well as exchange ideas and experiences in investing and doing business in Vietnam. The event creates opportunities to establish new business relationships for future cooperation and development between businesses of the two countries.

In particular, at the forum, 18 cooperation agreements between businesses and organizations of the two countries were signed and announced.

The agreements include launching projects under the Netherlands’ Mekong Delta combi-track sustainable aquaculture (which focuses on the economic opportunities of this transition); projects with Dutch financial contribution in organic shrimp farming, sustainable rice cultivation, sugar substitute sweeteners.

The Netherlands and Vietnam are long-lasting strategic partners in water and climate. The agreements also include this diverse cooperation.

Vietnam exports more goods to the Netherlands than to any other European country. The Netherlands is the biggest EU investor in Vietnam. The two countries aim at a combination of sustainable development, trade and investment. The agreements include the partnerships of the two sides that contributes to sustainable food supply chain, and the efforts to export Vietnamese sustainable agri-food products to the Dutch and European markets. The strengthened cooperation in sustainable bilateral trade is also reflected by the partnerships in bringing the Dutch products closer to Vietnamese consumers.

The Netherlands is keen on working with Vietnam to bring into play the advantages of EVFTA & EVIPA towards green and inclusive trade and investment, as well as to implement the EU regulations applied to products exported to EU countries. Not only in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam and the Netherlands are working together in many other sectors and at nation-wide level. Vietnam is an important trade and investment partner for the Netherlands.