Opportunities for trade and investment promotion in new markets

Dong Nai province has recently welcomed more than 20 heads of Vietnam’s representative agencies abroad, creating an opportunity for the locality to provide information on investment attraction and trade promotion between Dong Nai-based enterprises and their foreign counterparts.

Workers at Electronic Tripod Viet Nam Co., Ltd. at Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park (IP) in Long Hung ward. Photo: Cong Nghia

This also presents an opportunity for Dong Nai to tap into investment potential from countries and territories with strong capital flows and advantages in science and technology, as well as green and sustainable solutions, including Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, Japan, and South Africa.

New avenues for investment attraction

At the working session with provincial leaders, many heads of Vietnam’s representative agencies abroad shared valuable insights on potential markets as a basis for investment promotion.

Chau Mai Anh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Switzerland, noted that Switzerland possesses globally recognized strengths in technology and financial ecosystems. The country is currently implementing cooperation programs with Vietnam to support the conversion of traditional industrial parks into ecological and green industrial zones.

She added that cooperation could extend to renewable energy as well as water and waste treatment. This would pave the way for zero-carbon  or low-carbon industrial parks and smarter energy management in Dong Nai. In addition, the province could work with Switzerland in vocational training to improve the quality of its workforce. Cooperation could also be expanded to logistics center development, warehousing systems, and supply chain management technologies for traceability, thereby facilitating access to European markets.

She affirmed that she would continue to serve as a bridge connecting Dong Nai with partners from the Swiss business community, helping to expand high-quality investment inflows into the province.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Trong Kien, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to South Africa, observed that South Africa, as one of Africa’s largest economies, offers significant opportunities for cooperation with Dong Nai in sectors such as agriculture, industry, mining, seaports, and logistics. He stressed that, in his capacity, he would maintain close coordination with localities to promote economic cooperation, including with Dong Nai.

Nguyen Hoang Dieu Tam, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Finland, pointed out that Finland stands out in digital transformation and sustainable development. Accordingly, the country could cooperate with Dong Nai in high technology and digital transformation, environmental sustainability toward net-zero goals, high-tech forestry applications, sustainable timber production, eco-friendly furniture manufacturing, forest resource management, as well as education and human resource development.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang emphasized that, with a motto of placing people, localities, and businesses at the center of service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consistently works alongside local authorities to enhance the effectiveness of external relations, attract foreign investors, and mobilize international resources for socio-economic development.

Momentum to attract new FDI inflows

Speaking at the meeting with provincial leaders on April 1, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang highlighted that under Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new period, the 14th National Party Congress reaffirmed diplomacy and international integration as key and regular tasks, with a pioneering role in serving national development goals. The MoFA has clearly identified the requirements for the new phase. Therefore, through the working session, its working delegation aimed gather feedback from Dong Nai, particularly amid evolving global condition. Especially in this context, the MoFA is increasingly focusing on supporting local development.

Regarding Dong Nai, the Deputy Minister underlined that the province is a major contributor to the country’s GDP and holds significant potential for future growth. To strengthen investment attraction, she suggested that the province intensify image promotion, enhance investment connectivity, and step up trade promotion activities. Organizing large-scale international events was also recommended as a way to boost outreach, especially in the lead-up to APEC 2027.

To further strengthen coordination between Vietnam’s representative agencies abroad and Dong Nai authorities, the MoFA will provide the province with a list of heads of representative agencies abroad to facilitate direct connections and information exchange, thereby maximizing access to international investment resources.

Looking ahead, with the growing appeal of Long Thanh International Airport and surrounding airport urban areas, Dong Nai is expected to attract investors’ increasing interest. Therefore, closer coordination between overseas missions and the province will be essential to effectively seize these opportunities.

By T. Moc – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha