Attending the conference were Mr. Jeong Woo Jin - Ambassador, Consul General of the Korean Embassy in Vietnam and representatives of a number of Korean agencies, organizations and businesses in Vietnam.

On the side of Bac Giang province, there were comrades: Le Anh Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Lam Thi Huong Thanh - Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Phan The Tuan - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of leaders of provincial departments, agencies and representatives of nearly 170 Korean businesses operating in Bac Giang province.

Attending the conference were Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh - Vice Chairman of Vietnam Federation of Trade and Industry; representatives of specialized agencies of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bac Giang continues to improve the investment, business, and support environment, creating the most favorable conditions for businesses

Delivering a welcome speech at the conference, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Anh Duong emphasized that the meeting with Korean organizations, businesses and entrepreneurs has practical significance when the two countries Vietnam - Korea celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relation establishment. Reviewing the the province's socio-economic development in 2021, he said that despite facing many difficulties due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the province's economy quickly regained its growth momentum. Those achievements have important contributions from foreign investors, including enterprises and investors from Korea. Currently, Korea is the first country in terms of the number of investment projects in the province with 321 projects, second in terms of total registered capital with nearly 1.4 billion USD.

He praised and the appreciated businesses for their efforts to overcome difficulties, actively cooperate, support and make important contributions to the development process of Bac Giang province over the past time. He said that although the investment and business environment of Bac Giang has achieved certain results, there are still many limitations. The investment, production and business of enterprises in general and Korean enterprises in particular still face many difficulties. These things make the provincial leaders worry. Therefore, at this conference, provincial leaders will directly listen to the aspirations, suggestions and recommendations of Korean enterprises. This is also an opportunity for Korean businesses and investors to better understand the opportunities, potentials and advantages of Bac Giang, the province's viewpoints, policies and determination as well as their responsibilities when investing and doing business in the province. 

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Anh Duong affirmed that Bac Giang will continue to improve the investment and business environment; strengthen support, create the most favorable conditions for foreign investors in general and Korean investors in particular to trust and rest assured to invest in the province. At the same time, it is hoped that after this conference, the problems and recommendations of businesses and investors will be basically resolved, and more and more Korean businesses believe and consider Bac Giang as an important destination for visit, investment, production and business.

Creativity in improving the business investment environment, attracting foreign investment

At the conference, the delegates highly appreciated Bac Giang's innovative ways of improving the business investment environment and attracting foreign investment. 

Mrs. Nguyen Minh Hang - Assistant Minister and Director of Economic General Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that in a phone call between President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yoel on March 23, the two leaders affirmed that they will promote the further substantive development of the cooperative relationship between the two countries, including upgrading the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries. diplomatic system. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highly appreciates Bac Giang's initiative to organize this conference and considers it an important event, reinforcing the traditional relationship between the two countries.

After two years, the whole world struggled to fight the epidemic, the current period marks the transition of countries when they both flexibly and safely adapt to the epidemic, while focusing on promoting economic development. In that context, Bac Giang province has actively and proactively issued many policies to attract investment, always ranked in the top of the country in terms of economic growth with an increasingly expanding economy. This conference creates new confidence and new motivation to further promote economic and trade relations between Vietnam and Korea. With its responsibilities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to act as a bridge to support localities in general and Bac Giang in particular to expand and improve external economic efficiency, attract high-quality investment, and promote economic growth, promote corporate diplomacy with Korean partners.

Mr. Jeong Woo Jin - Ambassador, Consul General of the Korean Embassy in Vietnam said that after 30 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations, both sides have achieved many significant achievements, important in most fields and became a strategic partner (in 2009). In this relationship, Korea always holds the position of a major partner in investment, trade, ODA, labor, tourism... of Vietnam, and Vietnam have become key partners in Korea's foreign policy in the region.

According to statistics of the General Department of Customs of Korea, in 2021, two-way trade turnover between the two countries will reach 80.7 billion USD, up 17% compared to 2020, ranking third after the United States and China. This shows that the cooperation and investment relationship between the two countries is taking place actively and expanding. In fact, the investment speed of Korean enterprises is also expanding rapidly in Vietnam, in which Bac Giang has many advantages when it is located near two localities where many Korean businesses invest, namely Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen. With Bac Giang province having a policy of building an industrial park exclusively for Korean businesses, I believe that after this conference, many businesses will find investment opportunities in Bac Giang in fields such as: environmentally friendly high technology, human resource development, supporting industries, Logictics...

Mr. Do Nhat Hoang - Director of the Department of Foreign Investment (Ministry of Planning and Investment) said, in the condition of being heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, Bac Giang has made great efforts to become the center of the world. industrial development center with many basic socio-economic indicators ranked in the top 10 nationwide. Bac Giang's strong growth is due to turning potential into reality, changing thinking and vision. Mr. Hoang said, Vietnam's FDI attraction orientation has shifted from attracting FDI to cooperating with foreign investors in the spirit of equality, mutual development, mutual benefit, mutual social responsibility and environmental protection, as well as sustainable development. With the above orientation, Vietnam and Korea have a lot of potential and room for cooperation. Bac Giang is currently an attractive destination for foreign investors, including Korean businesses. The Ministry of Planning and Investment will always accompany Bac Giang to support investors' investment and business.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Federation of Trade and Industry said that, besides the advantages of geographical location, Bac Giang also has open and favorable policies to attract investment. According to the ranking results of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2020, Bac Giang province increased 13 places on the rankings and is the highest rank achieved by the province in the past 8 years.

Unsatisfied with the initial successes, in order to continue to improve the investment and business environment more strongly, Bac Giang has issued a Plan to raise the PCI index next year higher than the previous year, to be ranked at least 20 compared to the whole country and belongs to the group of localities with good economic management quality. To achieve that goal, the leaders of Bac Giang province always have a market-oriented attitude, listen to the opinions of businesses, ensure publicity, transparency and compliance with the law and create favorable conditions for production and business activities. With the above synchronous solutions, Bac Giang will continue to achieve many achievements in attracting foreign investment.

Mr. Kim Young Chul - Vice Chairman of the Korean Business Association in Hanoi (KORCHAM) informed that there are currently 190 Korean enterprises investing in Bac Giang, of which 170 have been put into operation. This shows that the cooperation and investment relationship between Korean and Bac Giang businesses is taking place actively and expanding. In fact, over the years, Bac Giang has always been an ideal destination for Korean businesses because the locality has introduced many policies to attract investment, and is interested in building infrastructure for industrial parks. In addition, Bac Giang has the advantage of being near the northern border, so it is convenient to transport goods and materials. The Korean business community highly appreciates Bac Giang's leaders' interest in innovating, reforming and perfecting mechanisms and policies, creating the most favorable conditions for investors to enter the area, especially measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic, contributing to strengthening the confidence of the business community and foreign investors in Bac Giang province.

On behalf of enterprises, Mr. Kim Young Chul wished that the province would continue to pay attention to improving the business investment environment, creating favorable conditions for FDI enterprises, including Korean enterprises operating locally; create conditions for stable production enterprises. With Bac Giang's stable business environment and effective pandemic prevention and control strategy, KORCHAM will continue to introduce quality businesses to invest in Bac Giang....

Here, representatives of a number of Korean organizations, agencies and businesses also informed about the results of cooperation in Vietnam in general and Bac Giang in particular in recent years. Thereby, they all show their determination to promote cooperation in the future.

Bac Giang is a successful destination for all foreign investors

In the appreciation speech, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Anh Duong emphasized that the friendly cooperation relationship between Vietnam and Korea is getting better and better. Bac Giang always strengthens and respects cooperation with Korean partners, and at the same time wishes to deepen the relationship, practical and effective, contributing to the friendship between the two peoples of Vietnam - Korea. Within the framework of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in addition to this conference, Bac Giang will try to successfully organize other events to contribute to the results of cooperation between the two countries.

Bac Giang province hopes that after this conference, Korean agencies, organizations and businesses will understand more about Bac Giang province, the goodwill as well as the province's investment environment. Since then, Bac Giang has increasingly welcomed more Korean businesses and investors to the province. Comrade Le Anh Duong believes that Bac Giang province is a successful destination for all foreign investors, especially Korean investors.

Bac Giang province hopes that in the near future, the plans that the province is implementing will become reality, that is, to bring Korean language into teaching in high schools; establishment of industrial parks of Korean businesses; housing area for Korean experts and workers in Bac Giang; The cooperative relationship in vocational training, general education, cultural labor, and people-to-people diplomacy will continue to be implemented and reap success. 

On this occasion, the Provincial People's Committee announced the decision to establish the province's Korean Investment Promotion and Support Team (Korea Desk) with 8 members led by Mrs. Bui Thi Thu Thuy - Director of the Department of Planning and Investment./.