Madrid (VNA) – DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh reaffirmed the Vietnamesegovernment’s commitment to welcoming foreign investors, including those fromSpain, with all possible support at the opening of the Vietnam-Spain businessforum in Madrid on May 24.

Highlighting Vietnam as a brightspot in terms of investment attraction and tourism, Minh said Vietnam has sofar lured nearly 300 billion USD in foreign direct investment, 154 billion USDof which has been disbursed. The number of tourist arrivals in the country hassurpassed a record 10 million thanks to political-security, investment andeconomic policy stability.

A representative from the Spanishgovernment described Vietnam as one of the priority markets, particularly inthe fields of infrastructure, railway, seaport, agriculture and tourism, andpledged to facilitate collaboration between the two nations’ businesses.

Deputy Minister of Planning andInvestment Nguyen Van Hieu introduced Vietnam’s preferential investmentpolicies while Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung talked aboutbusiness opportunities with Spanish enterprises.

The two officials had directmeetings with Spanish firms operating in wind and solar power, construction ofairports and seaports, water treatment, waste and plastics treatment, whichexpressed their wish to travel to Vietnam to learn about specific projects.

On the occasion, Minh alsowitnessed the signing of agreements between Vietnamese and Spanish firms ininfrastructure design consultancy.

As part of celebrations for the40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, the forum was co-organised bythe Vietnamese ministries of Foreign Affairs, Planning and Investment, Industryand Trade; the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the Vietnamese embassyin Spain; the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness; andthe Spain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attracting nearly 200 officials andbusinesses from the two nations.

At a meeting earlier the sameday, Minh and Spanish Minister and Secretary of State for Trade Maria LuisaPoncela promised to lift two-way trade to 5 billion EUR by 2020 by increasingpartnerships across transport infrastructure, renewable energy, environment,ecological agriculture and tourism.

Minh witnessed the signing of acooperation agreement between the two governments on the establishment ofVietnam-Spain Trade and Investment Inter-Committee, and a deal on the fifthstage of the financial plan on providing financial support for the constructionof metro line No.5 in Vietnam-VNA