Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, recognizing the significant potential for cooperation, has called on Polish businesses to increase investment in Vietnam for mutual benefit.

Delegates from two sides at the event. Photos: Nhat Bac/VGP

He delivered this message at the Vietnam-Poland Business Forum held in Warsaw on the afternoon of January 17 local time. The event attracted a large number of businesses from both countries.

In his opening remarks, Krzysztof Paszyk, Poland's Minister of Economic Development and Technology, highlighted two key reasons for organizing the forum: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit and the upcoming 75th anniversary in 2025 of Vietnam-Poland diplomatic relations.

The minister noted that the Vietnamese prime minister’s meetings with Polish top leaders over the past two days reaffirmed both sides' commitment to strengthening economic and trade cooperation.

He added that Vietnam is Poland’s largest partner in ASEAN and urged his country's enterprises to boost exports to Vietnam, stating that Poland can supply everything Vietnam needs in this sector.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the event.

Beyond trade, investment plays an equally important role. However, current investment levels between the two countries remain modest. By the end of December 2024, Poland had 33 projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of nearly US$500 million, while Vietnamese businesses and Polish-Vietnamese enterprises had invested over US$300 million in Poland. The Polish minister stressed that the potential for investment cooperation remains substantial.

Agreeing with this assessment, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged that economic and investment relations between Vietnam and Poland have not yet matched the strong political ties and longstanding friendship between the two nations. He stated that both governments bear some responsibility for this imbalance and pledged to address it as soon as possible.

According to Chinh, both governments need to establish policies and mechanisms that foster trust within the business community.

“Vietnam, for its part, is committed to creating a stable and favorable environment for businesses and foreign investors,” Chinh said, adding that the country is also developing preferential policies for investors, particularly in high-tech industries, healthcare, and sustainable development.

At the same time, Vietnam is pushing ahead with three strategic breakthroughs in institutional reform, infrastructure development, and human resource training, he continued.

Overview of the event.

The prime minister urged businesses from both countries to strengthen business ties and pursue more effective cooperation based on shared benefits and risk-sharing. He called on Polish enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam for mutual gain.

At the conference, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized that emerging economies like Vietnam and Poland need to intensify collaboration in trade, industry, and energy transition to improve resilience.

“Strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation, as well as engagement within ASEAN and the EU, will bring significant benefits to both countries,” Dien noted.

During a meeting on January 16 with the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Minister Paszyk announced that Poland had initiated internal procedures to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Minister Dien noted that once ratified, this important agreement would facilitate the expansion of Polish and EU businesses in Vietnam. He also outlined key sectors that Vietnam is prioritizing, including semiconductors, big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and infrastructure development such as highways, high-speed rail, metro systems, airports, seaports, and international financial centers. These are areas where Poland has expertise, experience, and advanced technology.

He also expressed the hope that the Polish government and relevant agencies would support Vietnamese businesses in exploring investment opportunities,  thus positioning Poland as an attractive gateway for Vietnamese companies seeking to expand into the European market.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is on an official visit to Poland from January 16 to 18 at the invitation of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. This marks the first official visit by a Vietnamese prime minister to Poland in 15 years.