Top leader meets leading Danish businesses

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam and Danish King Frederik X met with leaders of prominent Danish businesses in Copenhagen on the morning of October 20 as part of the former’s ongoing state visit to the European country.

Representatives of major companies, including A.P. Moller Maersk in trade and logistics; LEGO Group, Carlsberg and Pandora in industrial investment; Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) in energy investment; and Vestas in energy transition, expressed confidence in Vietnam’s investment environment and high expectations for its prospects. Discussions focused on long-term development orientations in Vietnam, with the business leaders putting forward specific proposals to facilitate continued investment and business expansion in the country.

Addressing the meeting, General Secretary and President Lam acknowledged and highly valued the presence, contributions and long-term investment commitments of Danish businesses in Vietnam.

He commended the decision by many leading Danish companies to choose Vietnam as a base for long-term investment, production and business operations. Beyond capital, these companies brought technology, management expertise, international standards and a commitment to green and sustainable development, helping improve the quality of foreign investment flows into Vietnam, he said.

Against the backdrop of a changing global and regional landscape, Vietnam and Denmark need to set higher expectations for their economic cooperation, improving its quality, technological content, productivity and innovation capacity, while enabling businesses from both countries to participate more deeply in strategic value chains, said the leader.

General Secretary and President Lam stressed that Vietnam wishes to expand cooperation with Denmark into new areas with higher added value and strategic significance for the future of both countries. Priority areas included the energy transition and renewable energy ecosystems; seaports, logistics and green maritime transport; the circular economy; environmental technology and water management; sustainable agriculture and food production; and digital transformation, artificial intelligence, automation and smart manufacturing.

The two sides should also strengthen links among businesses, research institutes and training institutions; promote research and development (R&D), technology transfer and high-quality human resource training; and help Vietnamese businesses improve management capacity, meet green standards and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, and participate more deeply in Danish corporations’ value chains.

The top Vietnamese leader noted that the CPV Politburo’s Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW on the development of the foreign-invested economy called for further fundamental changes in thinking, improvements to the institutional framework for development, the mobilisation of resources and the creation of new space for investment and business. Enterprises and investors are regarded as key participants in the development process.

Vietnam will continue reviewing and comprehensively improving its legal framework for investment, land, planning, energy, infrastructure, science and technology, and innovation to ensure greater stability, transparency, consistency and predictability, he said.

He pledged that the country will resolutely cut unnecessary administrative procedures, accelerate decentralisation and delegation of authority, digitise processes and shorten the time required to prepare and implement projects. Appropriate mechanisms will also be introduced to address emerging issues arising from practical implementation, he added.

Vietnam hopes international partners will bring not only capital but also technology, management expertise, high-quality human resources and access to global markets, working with Vietnamese businesses to build internationally competitive supply chains and industrial ecosystems, he said.

Based on discussions at the meeting, General Secretary and President Lam called on Danish businesses to expand investment in logistics and seaports, including international transshipment ports, logistics centres, smart warehousing, air and rail logistics, and modern supply chain management solutions.

International logistics groups should not only transport Vietnamese goods but also help Vietnam become an important link in global logistics networks, establishing regional distribution, transshipment and supply chain management hubs in the country, he said.

In the energy sector, Vietnam hopes technology-, finance- and management-capable corporations will continue working with the country to develop clean and renewable energy, wind and solar power, stable and flexible power sources, energy storage systems and solutions to improve energy efficiency, he added.

The two sides should go beyond individual energy projects to gradually develop an energy industry ecosystem in Vietnam, including supply chains, equipment manufacturing, technical services, research and development, workforce training and greater participation by Vietnamese businesses.

In advanced manufacturing, international corporations should move beyond setting up processing and assembly plants to bring more high-value activities to Vietnam, including design, research and development, content creation, product development and workforce training, while building networks of Vietnamese suppliers.

The goal should be for products researched, designed and manufactured in Vietnam to reach hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide, he said.

The top Vietnamese leader asked Vietnamese agencies to fully take note of proposals raised at the meeting. Each feasible proposal should have a designated agency responsible for follow-up, every promising project should have a clear roadmap for advancement, and every legitimate concern should be assigned to a responsible authority for review and resolution.

He affirmed that Vietnam is ready to work with Denmark and the two countries' business communities to develop new cooperation models, open up new opportunities for growth and create shared value for the prosperity of both nations and for a green, sustainable future.

The General Secretary and President expressed his hope that businesses will continue to choose Vietnam as a long-term investment destination, a manufacturing base, an innovation hub and an important link in global value chains, while strengthening partnerships with Vietnamese enterprises.

Vietnam remains committed to listening to businesses, supporting their operations and resolving difficulties, while creating a favourable, transparent and stable investment and business environment so businesses can invest with confidence and achieve sustainable, long-term success in Vietnam, he said./.