The Bangladesh-Vietnam Chambers of Commerce and Industry (BVCCI) and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) should be the shortest bridges to connect the business communities of the two countries, Vietnamese Ambassador in Bangladesh Pham Viet Chien said today.

He also hoped the two chambers can contribute more and more to assisting the businesses of the two countries and Vietnamese companies present in Bangladesh.

The chambers may also step forward to represent the business communities to propose to the Bangladesh government on how to facilitate the trade and investment relations between the two nations, he said.

He spoke at the Vietnam-Bangladesh Business Meeting organised by the Vietnam embassy in Dhaka.

The envoy encouraged the Vietnamese to do business with Bangladesh.

He also urged the Bangladeshi businesses and companies to be more active to learn about Vietnam market to get close and communicate with Vietnamese businesses for partnership and business.

Vietnam and Bangladesh enjoy an excellent traditional friendship, he said.

"Our two countries have many historical similarities, the struggle for national independence, defense and development. Both countries have been transforming into dynamic emerging economies in the world nonow.

Similar to Bangladesh, Vietnam managed to register a positive GDP growth of the gross domestic product at 2.94 per cent in 2020, despite negative impacts of Covid-19 pandemic, the envoy said.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years, trade and economic cooperation between Vietnam and Bangladesh have been stable and growing even stronger than before the pandemic, he said.

The bilateral trade turnover of the first nine months of 2021 reached $981 million, around 80 per cent higher than last year, he said.

"It is the highest two-way trade value ever. 2021 is also expected to be the first year that our trade value passed $1 billion."

"The Embassy of Viet Nam in Bangladesh, and myself, are always willing to listen to the expectations of business communities, and will try our best to assist and create more favourable conditions for the two countries' business communities."

"Because more fruitful business deals between the two countries' companies means our bilateral relations getting stronger and deeper, contributing to the development of our two countries,"  Chien said.

Vietnam always welcomes Bangladesh to come to do business and cooperate for mutual interests. 

"You can see that through these Vietnamese businesses joining the meeting today. They are here and have been ready to work with you directly and effectively."

The ambassador shared his thoughts during a speech at the business meeting.

At the end of his speech, he introduced nine Vietnamese businesses at the meeting.

They were: Do Van Trong, chairman of board of directors of SongHong Group; Pham Dinh Luan, director of the Asia Pacific Import - Export Joint Stock Company; Nguyen Trung Kien, director of the TKD Joint Stock Company; Tran Dinh Thanh, director of Son Ha Mineral Joint Stock Company; Le Thai Hai, deputy director of WE Construction Joint Stock Company; Hoang Minh Duc, deputy director of Vieba Vietnam Company; Hoang Thi Minh Anh, head of division of Kangaroo Vietnam; Pham Van Luan, deputy director of Sunrise Maritime Service Joint Stock Company; Nguyen Ha Thu, chairwoman of Vieba Co Ltd Bangladesh.